Spanish Fork candidates have eyes on traffic woes

SPANISH FORK — Incumbent G. Wayne Andersen, 61, is completing his first term on the City Council and vying for the mayor's seat.

For the past two years, the lifelong Spanish Fork resident has served as mayor pro tem, conducting business from the dais in the frequent absences of Mayor Joe Thomas.

Anderson, who attended Utah State University and BYU, said key issues facing Spanish Fork include traffic congestion and the city's attempt to get an I-15 interchange at U.S. 6 and Main Street rebuilt as part of the state's freeway project.

Andersen faces former Councilman Sherman Huff in the race to replace Thomas, who isn't seeking re-election.

Huff, 71, said Thomas' frequent absences prompted him to seek the office. He served on the City Council for eight years and also was a member of the Planning Commission.

Huff takes issue with the lack of shopping on the east bench and the traffic congestion along U.S. 6 that serves that area. Another traffic trouble spot, the I-15 interchange to Main Street, also has Huff's attention, as does the slowed development of the North Park area, where the park was ripped out for commercial construction. He said he'd like to see the park replaced.

Huff also has served on numerous boards and committees affecting Spanish Fork. Before retirement, he was the president of Pacific Horizon Credit Union.

As his name depicts, Steve Leifson, has an Icelandic ancestor who helped settle Spanish Fork. Leifson is in his first term on the City Council and also serves on various civic boards and committees. He is a general contractor who says he's interested in measured growth that fits the city's budget. Leifson supports local volunteerism, which has resulted in the city's many events and festivities.

Finances are an issue with City Council candidate Matthew McEwan, 31, a customer-service representative for FPS-Gold, a financial software design and maintenance company that develops and maintains banking software.

"I feel that the city finances should be run like those of our homes," McEwan said.

He wants to make sure unnecessary financial burdens don't get passed onto taxpayers.

McEwan also said growth has brought demands on roads and interchanges, along with building and zoning issues that must be managed.

A decorated war veteran of both the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, City Council candidate Keir A. Scoubes served as a liaison officer for the State Department abroad at the U.S. Embassy in Honduras.

Scoubes, a fifth-grade teacher at Larsen Elementary School, has been in leadership positions with the Boy Scouts of America and has served the community in various service positions.

"I believe that it is my civic duty and obligation to run for City Council," he said. "I teach my fifth-grade students about the need to be involved in our community."

Seth Sorensen, a city councilman from 2004 to 2008, has served in various civic capacities, boards and committees. Sorensen said he is seeking a return to the City Council to provide leadership in the down economy.

Sorensen is a former president of the Utah Coalition for Educational Technology and the Utah representative for the International Society for Technology in Education.

e-mail: rodger@desnews.com