Mayor pleased with city's first year

COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS — For Kelvyn Cullimore Jr., stepping into the position of Cottonwood Heights mayor wasn't his greatest challenge — it was starting a city from scratch.

A year ago, the formerly unincorporated county area, with 36,000 residents, was inaugurated as the 16th city in Salt Lake County. The business-oriented area took pride in becoming its own city, but not without struggling first.

With no budget, municipal laws, city staff or general plan, starting up the city was a "huge undertaking," Cullimore noted. From switching all business licenses to appealing for local tax money, the city pushed to make an identity for itself.

However, the aid of an enthusiastic staff, including city manager Liane Stillman (who guided Holladay into incorporation in 1999 and then became its first mayor) has helped Cottonwood Heights grow comfortable roots. The city now boasts a city hall (at 1265 E. Fort Union Blvd.) and its own Web site (www.cottonwoodheights.utah.gov) as identifying markers.

"It was quite a job. I've learned there is no such thing as a part-time mayor," Cullimore said. As CEO of medical-device manufacturing firm Dynatronics, based in Cottonwood Heights, he says his additional mayoral duties give him the equivalent of two full-time jobs. "When it comes to starting a city, there are just so many things. Before there was a city hall, "We started holding council meetings right here at Dynatronics.

"Of course you have no history for setting budgets, you have no staff to rely on. . . . Setting up the city and hiring the people was a major challenge."

The first big task was petitioning for tax revenues that had been paid by Cottonwood Heights residents to the county before the city was incorporated. A bill approved in an April special session of the Legislature, pushed by Cottonwood Heights, made it legal for counties to give a chunk of their municipal services funds to newly incorporated cities. The county ended up giving $3 million to the city, with an agreement that the city will use $2.5 million of the grant for a public open space project.

Cullimore said the city hopes to acquire the recently closed Cottonwood and Mountview elementary schools to meet the open space requirement.

"That's just an example of why we needed to become a city," Cullimore said. "This area did not have a voice for a long, long time. And we needed that."

At the city birthday party this evening at Butler Middle School, the county will present the $3 million check to the city.