North Salt Lake mayoral hopefuls line up

NORTH SALT LAKE — The North Salt Lake City Council is scheduled tonight to interview nine potential candidates for mayor. Current Mayor Kay Briggs is planning to resign within the next two months because of a job transfer.

Under state law, a city council is authorized to appoint a replacement for an elected official if that official is unable to stay in office. The appointed official can stay in office until the next municipal election.

Utah's next municipal election is November 2007.

North Salt Lake council members have indicated they won't select a candidate during their meeting tonight, said city recorder Larae Dillingham.

"I suspect it will be anywhere from a few days from now to a week," she said.

Of the nine candidates, three are current city councilmen. Those councilmen will have to recuse themselves from the interview and selection process, said Dillingham. That leaves only two council members to make the selection: Lisa Watts Baskin and Matt Hardy.

North Salt Lake's city attorney is currently researching whether it is legal for only two council members to make such a selection, and what happens in the case of a tie vote, said Dillingham.

As of late Monday, the following people had submitted their names to be considered as mayor: Lynn Ballard, Jim Dixon, Conrad Jacobson, Chris Kirkham, Gene Madsen, Stan Porter, Dennis J. Potter, Shana Schaefermeyer and George Watanabe.

Interviews are scheduled to begin at 7:35 p.m. tonight. The meeting will be held at the North Salt Lake city offices, 20 S. U.S. 89.