4 running for Taylorsville mayor

TAYLORSVILLE — Mayor Janice Auger has been involved with city government since Taylorsville became a city in 1996. She's been mayor for the past eight years and was a City Council member before that.

But at the end of this year, she is saying good-bye to city government so she can spend more time with her family.

Auger's retirement leaves a vacancy in the mayor's office that four people — including a man who has worked with her as a City Council member the past four years — are vying to fill in the Oct. 4 primary election. That election will reduce the field to two, who will face off in the general election Nov. 8.

The city is dealing with the growth spurt that has hit the Salt Lake Valley's west side, and Taylorsville has seen a lot of change in recent years. Earlier this year, Taylorsville ended its contract with the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office and formed its own police department. Recent hot topics in the city have included a drive to clean up the overused Millrace dog park and the opening of a new Wal-Mart Supercenter.

• Roger K. Belgard, 69, a retired employee of the Union Pacific Railroad, said Taylorsville's teenagers are among his top priorities. As mayor, he would address the problem of high school dropouts and "help the schoolteachers." He also wants to focus on police officers, who he says "have always been underpaid. Without these officers, we wouldn't be able to sleep at night, but since they are there, we all sleep comfortable." He praised Auger, saying she will be missed, adding, "She was great. Look at her city — a far better place to live now than when she took office. She will always be my role model." This is Belgard's first foray into politics.

• Richard T. Morley, 55, said business development and jobs are his top priorities. He said the next mayor should work on "keeping the city safe and friendly to all, including business. I support the police department in this endeavor and applaud all the work that has gone on to work toward that end. But we need to move forward with an even clearer picture of what a city can be and plan for our children's future." Morley has no previous political experience.