PROVO — The first declared candidate for Provo mayor will open his campaign office Wednesday with a kickoff celebration.

The open house will run from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 443 N. University Ave. The celebration will include a ribbon-cutting and short remarks from John Curtis.

Curtis, executive vice president of Action Target and a candidate for the state Senate in 2000, declared his intentions to run last December. The mayoral race is in November.

Curtis has been raising money, building a staff of volunteers, putting up signs and launching a campaign Web site, johncurtis.org.

His platform is "Safety, Prosperity, Unity," with issues including better equipment and training for the Provo Police Department to "keep gangs and drugs from spreading."

The only other declared candidate thus far is Rep. Steve Clark, R-Provo, who has served in the state Legislature since 2001 and was re-elected in November.

Don Allphin, chair of the Lakeview North Neighborhood, said he will likely declare his candidacy this week.

Mayor Lewis K. Billings is finishing his fourth term and announced last week that he won't run again.

Filing for the November election begins July 1 and ends July 15.

— Rodger L. Hardy