Cottonwood Heights joined the ranks of Salt Lake County cities Friday, officially incorporating as the county's 16th city.

"Finally, we have a voice," Mayor Kelvyn Cullimore Jr. said after being sworn in as the city's first mayor.

Finding that voice comes after nearly three years working toward incorporation and a May election in which 85 percent of voters opted to become a city. Residents took their first step as a city Nov. 2, voting in Cullimore, along with city council members Gordon Thomas, Scott Bracken, Don Antczak and Bruce Jones.

Now city leaders face that task of finalizing city budgets, staffing city offices and creating a new master plan for the city, which stretches from the Holladay border on the north to the Wasatch-Cache National Forest on the east, 1300 East on the west and Creek Road to the south.

"We want to get the city started on a solid foundation," Cullimore said. "It's just a sea of minutia because everything has to be in place for when we go live as city."

Fortunately, Cullimore and his four city council members have already worked since the November election to lease office space for the city, prepare a $4 million budget and hire a city manager. In the city's council-manager form of government, city manager Liane Stillman will oversee day-to-day operations.

Stillman, who led neighboring Holladay to incorporation as mayor in 1999, has already filled spots for five positions, including treasurer and economic development director. But that still leaves five staff positions that have generated nearly 119 applications to sift through.

"We're still plugging away on that," she said. "Everything is very important and you can't afford to do wrong."

One of the top priorities for the infant city will be gaining control of local planning and zoning issues. Several county zoning decisions that irked city residents were a major motivating factor in May's incorporation vote, Cullimore said.

Although the city will retain the county's master plan until city planners are appointed, the City Council passed an ordinance Friday to put a moratorium on any major zoning changes for six months.

"We are severed from the county and are no longer subject to their planning and zoning ordinances," Cullimore said. "People are anxious to have control over their own area."

Another major push for incorporation came from a desire to keep sales tax revenues inside the city rather than have it gobbled up by neighboring cities. As an independent area, Cullimore said the city will now be able to reap the benefits of its large sales tax base.

"Cottonwood Heights is a refuge for business," Cullimore said. "We are the city between the canyons; we are the gateway to the best skiing in the world."

Cottonwood Heights will be contracting with the county for the majority of its municipal services. Cullimore hopes that as an independent customer, the city will be able to tailor those services to its needs at a better price.

---

E-mail: estewart@desnews.com