13 candidates competing for 3 spots on Draper City Council

"I believe the city staff needs more support to help them serve the citizens in a expeditious and courteous manner. The lines of communication should be open to offer the help we require as a community," he said.

• Eric Helt, 44, is the vice president of equipment financing services for the Bank of Utah.

Helt wants to be a "catalyst" to bring Draper leaders and residents together.

"I have observed over many years that Draper city has had a reputation of being slow to respond to growth. I'm concerned that this reputation (whether earned or not) has worked against us," he said. "I want to make sure that the mechanisms and processes are in place which will allow commercial development to thrive."

• John Lucky, 45, is a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Residential.

Lucky thinks lack of public schools, the need for Utah Transit Authority to study alternate TRAX routes, a referendum vote and desire for recreational facilities are issues Draper has yet to address.

"I decided to run for election after I had found the residents of Drapers' voices were falling on deaf ears within the city government," he said. "Draper is at a critical crossroads right now, and we need the vision to see that Draper remains one of the most vibrant communities in the state."

• Steve Orgill, 54, is a general contractor.

Budget shortfalls need to be planned for, said Orgill, a self-described fiscal conservative, since the city cannot rely on development and impact fees paid by developers.

"You've got a lot of developers, you've got people who are wanting to bring business to Draper, and they all need to be treated like IKEA. Development is the driving force in any community, and it's where a lot of the revenue base comes from," he said. "A lot of people have avoided Draper because it's such a headache. It's like going in for a root canal."

• Nick Ramond, 38, is an entrepreneur, inventor and stay-at-home dad. He is no stranger to City Council meetings and has been involved with various local committees, such as Draper's youth council, Citizen Transportation Committee, Save Corner Canyon Committee and Draper Days.

There is not one particular problem Ramond would like to solve in the city, but he stressed he wants to make it a better place.

"You do not really resolve growth, you manage it," Ramond said. "Managing growth is a delicate balancing act between keeping the community attractive to developers and businesses and maintaining our community standards. Our goal should be to identify and attract those developments and businesses that enhance the city, while at the same time establishing standards that protect our community and our way of life."