Mayors: all walks of life

Parry's Office Supply in the Cottonwood and ZCMI malls has been in the Parry family since 1974, and Kent Parry has been working there since he was about 12 years old.

Parry, the mayor of Woods Cross, now owns the stores.

According to a Deseret Morning News survey of the 241 mayors across the state and their occupations, Parry is one of 54 mayors who are small-business owners. Small-business owners make up the largest percentage of occupations held by Utah's mayors — 23 percent.

Michael Morgan, the mayor of Mendon, Cache County, a self-employed consultant, is not amazed.

"It's not surprising to me at all that there are that many that are self-employed. You just need the flexibility."

While the 2004 U.S. Census shows that just 8 percent of Utahns are self-employed, the newspaper's research showed that about one-third of the state's mayors either work in small businesses, agriculture or as general contractors.

While being self-employed offers flexibility in the hometown political arena, the survey also found that mayors come from all professional walks of life and bring with them unique skills.

The survey found that more than 12 percent of the state's mayors were government employees either before they took office or continuing while in office. Among the others are two barbers, two plumbers, 22 educators and a visual artist. There are five attorneys. There are no doctors, but one mayor works as an emergency medical technician.

Mayors like Parry say that owning their own businesses eliminates having to answer to an employer's demands and allows them time to do what a mayor needs to do and the authority to delegate business obligations to others should the need arise.

It also helps them develop good people skills.

"Business owners have more personal relationship with their clients, and that carries over to city council members, staff and residents of the city," Parry said.

Lincoln Shurtz, director of legislative affairs for the Utah League of Cities and Towns, said small-business ownership is a plus for politicos because it hones their understanding of community interests.

"It's certainly encouraging to me that a large percentage of the mayors are small-business owners. It's not as though they sit behind a government desk and impose government regulations on businesses without understanding the ramifications. They are part of the community. They understand the challenges and the perceptions that the public has of government."

The rest of the state's mayors are employed in a wide variety of occupations.

"These are just humble individuals just trying to do their part," Shurtz said