Ex-commissioner tops Draper Council vote

DRAPER — Final results from Draper's primary election show former Salt Lake County Commissioner Bart Barker on top and political newcomer Alan Summerhays, who plans to form a city recreation department, trailing close behind.

Results from Draper's Utah County mail-in ballots were tallied Wednesday — the city straddles the Salt Lake and Utah County border. Thirteen individuals were running for three at-large seats, all four-year terms. Six now move on to compete in the Nov. 6 general elections.

Fifty-two-year-old Barker began his political career at 25, when he was elected to the commission. He served there for 10 years and wants to jump back into politics on Draper's City Council.

"I think people understand that Draper has outgrown the luxury of thinking small town. Draper's grown so fast and it's kind of outgrown the traditional way of doing things, where we need more experience," he said.

His experience is what he believes appealed to voters. Also of interest could be his five-year budgeting plan, particularly after the current council raised taxes in August.

Barker earned 974 votes. Not far behind, however, was Alan Summerhays with 967 votes.

Summerhays, 56, a restaurant, business owner and local farmer, wants to see a recreation department in the city. The nearly 50-year resident remembers the impact playing baseball had on his life.

"The guys that coached me in baseball, they did not have a kid on the team. Not one of the coaches. They did it for the love of the kids and the love of the sport. I feel that I have to pay back a little bit," he said. "I think it's a shame, with all the kids we have here, that we don't have more fields for them."

The other candidates who will move on include:

• Troy Walker, 40, an attorney who received 788 votes.

• Bill Colbert, 52, an incumbent council member who received 763 votes.

• Scott Tanner, 41, a real estate broker who received 696 votes.

• Paul Tonks, 38, an attorney and business owner who received 651 votes.

Colbert — the only incumbent running for re-election — said he was impressed with the turnout, at 7,888 voters. Of those, 254 are from Utah County — which totals a little over 50 percent of the residents living in the area.