Bountiful mayor challenged for third term

BOUNTIFUL — Bountiful Mayor Joe Johnson is running for a third term in office, but unlike some of his fellow mayors in Davis County, Johnson is facing a contender for his seat.

Johnson, 64, works in insurance sales and is running for re-election to continue keeping a balanced budget for Bountiful while looking out for power and transportation needs and economic development.

He says he has an open-door policy and wants to consider what is best for Bountiful and its future.

Jeffrey Novak, 56, is a retired Air Force officer and now a senior business consultant. Novak has served as a precinct chairman and state and county delegate and is a former chairman of the Coalition for Ethics and Accountability in Government.

Novak said that if elected he would focus on making Bountiful's government more transparent, effective and efficient, encouraging economic development and promoting a sense of pride and environmental awareness.

Four candidates are seeking two Bountiful City Council seats.

Ernie Cox, 62, is retired and a former chief executive officer of the Salt Lake County Housing Authority. Cox said he is running for council to make sure Bountiful operates within its income and without raising taxes. And he wants to provide quality public safety, utility and recreation services while promoting the commercial business environment in Bountiful.

Incumbent Fred Moss is a lifelong resident of Bountiful and owns an engineering firm and a hydroelectric power company. Moss is running for a third term and wants to keep property taxes low, maintain city services, revitalize Main Street, develop new parks and trails, and keep the city within its budget, he said.

Incumbent Tom Tolman, 66, is retired but owns a digital-imaging business. Tolman is running for a third term on the City Council to continue working to build a local history museum. He says he has worked with downtown merchants to revitalize those businesses and sees a need to expand the city's retail base.

Phill Wright, 48, is a department head at Goldenwest Credit Union and a state and county delegate. Wright supports limited government and said he believes government shouldn't fund social programs that tap the resources of the average working man and woman. He supports fiscal responsibility and says public servants should be accountable.

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