Salt Lake City Council races offer clear choices

Tuesday Salt Lake City voters living in Districts 2, 4 and 6 will have a chance to pick their representative to the City Council. In all three districts the incumbents are running for re-election after serving one term. While the incumbents are standing on their records, the challengers are saying the city needs a change.

District 2 (Glendale, Poplar Grove)

Here, longtime City Hall gadfly Michael Clara is taking on incumbent Van Turner in a clash both candidates agree is a contrast of styles.

On the one hand, Turner paints himself as someone who can work well with others.

"I work with people, listen to them and try to partner up with people," Turner said.

Clara, in turn, describes himself as an independent who will be a more vocal voice of opposition when necessary.

"Van Turner rubber-stamps everything that Mayor Anderson proposes," Clara said.

Turner, as chair of the city's Redevelopment Agency Board, wants to create a redevelopment area in District 2 that would allow the city to entice developers and retailers to open shop out west.

Clara says District 2's foremost problem is a lack of representation at City Hall, causing the west side to be underserved.

The Salt Lake City Police Union and the fire department union have backed Turner, while Sen. James Evans and Rep. Duane Bordeaux are supporting Clara.

Turner, 56, owns Fire House Floral and and the Hook and Ladder restaurant.

Clara, 37, has worked for the Utah Transit Authority for six years and is currently a transit planner.

District 4 (Downtown, Central City, East Central City)

District 4 is the only district where Mayor Rocky Anderson has endorsed a candidate, and it's not incumbent Nancy Saxton .

The District 4 battle, then, is shaping up between one incumbent council member who is often at odds with Anderson's proposals and a challenger who is pledging to be more friendly with the administration.

Given Dennis Guy-Sell's friendship with the mayor, Saxton says residents should give her their vote to keep a healthy balance of power.

"I'm not a rubber stamp," she said. "I don't have any allegiance to this mayor or any other mayor."

Guy-Sell, whose wife also works for the city, said he differs from Saxton in that he "works well with people."

"I will have a cooperative and collaborative nature with the City Council and mayor to get the city moving forward."

Guy-Sell has out-raised Saxton $11,400 to $3,700 and has gained endorsements from the Sierra Club, the Salt Lake police and fire unions and the city's union of municipal employees.

Still, Saxton won a decided victory in the Oct. 7 primary, gaining 51 percent of the vote to Guy-Sell's 26 percent.

Saxton, 50, operates the Saltair Bed and Breakfast.