VINEYARD — For the first time in Vineyard's short history, J. Rulon Gammon's name won't be on the ballot.

The small town, incorporated in 1989, was led by Mayor Gammon for 15 years — until last year — when Gammon stepped down and moved to Pleasant Grove. Randy Farnworth, then a City Council member, was appointed to fill the vacancy.

During almost two decades of leadership, Gammon was challenged only once, four years ago, but won handily — 48 votes to six.

This year's ballot is a bit more diverse and residents must choose between incumbent Farnworth and current council member Sean Fernandez.

Although Farnworth said it's been a tough year of learning the ropes, he still has a few things left to do before he's ready to turn over the mayor's seat.

First, he wants to make sure that transitions for future mayors can be made smoothly.

Farnworth said he was hampered following his appointment by the fact much of the town's history and past actions was stored only in Gammon's brain — which he took with him when he left.

"That's one of the reasons I felt a need to run again," Farnworth, 50, said. "I've learned a lot, and I want to use it to the advantage of the people."

He also wants to help prepare Vineyard for what he believes is inevitable growth, he said.

"Vineyard is just going to explode in the next few years," Farnworth said. "There are so many things that have to be done. The issues don't stop."

The city needs sewer and water lines. The town currently uses wells and septic tanks. Then there's transportation infrastructure as well as appropriate city ordinances and zoning to allow for future developments.

While some might wonder why the town doesn't turn to Orem and become an extension of that city, Farnworth says most of what he hears from the 63 families in Vineyard is that they want the town to stay autonomous.

And that's exactly how Fernandez feels. Having lived in the city for eight years and serving on the City Council for six, his main goal is to preserve the history and promote future growth.

"I want to preserve the heritage that's existed here for a long time," Fernandez, 37, said. "I think we're a viable force down here. We have a lot to offer the surrounding communities and we're unique — I want to keep us that way."

While it's still too early to predict the future of the old Geneva Steel land, Fernandez said he hopes to bring in "quality developments," which to him means open spaces, lake-front features and a large trail system for walking. It also means new housing developments that are in the process, thanks to two large developers working with Vineyard.

"Once that ball gets rolling, it probably will happen rather quickly because of the fantastic features that we have," Fernandez said. "We are so close to the lake, right next to the mountains, so close to the highway system . . . yet it does have that country feel, (what) I want to try and preserve down here."

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