The children have yet to go to a City Council meeting, though. They will, they say, if it's exciting.

"I think it will be good to have the children see how the government works on that level," Christy Hernandez said. "We affect everything; we're not just in a shell. It's important to see that."

The kids are admittedly more excited to get VIP passes to Orem's Summerfest and other small perks of being the children of an elected official.

Hernandez said he is eager to get to know the City Council members as well as the Orem community, in order to balance his sense of what needs to be done versus the needs others see.

"He's a really good listener," Christy Hernandez said. "And good at getting people to work together. He's level-headed so (people) feel good about the outcome, no matter what side they come in on."

One highly divisive issue Hernandez is concerned about is education.

"I think they want me to be involved in educational issues," Hernandez said, looking at his two teenage daughters. "It's a huge issue for me."

Last year, Orem residents were heatedly split over a potential division of the Alpine School District, which prompted numerous meetings as well as lengthy City Council discussions with the public.

The City Council ultimately decided not to put the issue on the ballot then, but wanted to gather more information so voters would fully understand the effects of such a split. It's likely the issue will be raised again.

Hernandez, while not going into specifics about a potential new school district, said he believes city government ought to be involved in what's happening with the education system.

"The children and their future are so important to me," he said, then quoted an adage, "'A politician looks to the next election. A statesman looks to the next generation.' I wanted to have some impact on the future of this community."

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E-mail: sisraelsen@desnews.com