Stockton's next mayor focusing on positive

As Stockton's next mayor, Mark Whitney has several concerns on his mind — the construction of a new sewer system and making sure taxpayers' money is being spent wisely, to name a few.

And Whitney won't be getting any advice from outgoing Mayor Dan Rydalch. In fact, Rydalch won't even speak to him.

Whitney, elected Tuesday as the mayor of the small Tooele County town of 600 residents, hasn't spoken to Rydalch since last week, when the Stockton Town Council called a special meeting with the mayor.

Whitney and others suspect Rydalch may dodge the monthly Town Council meeting as well, possibly leaving Whitney without training for his new job.

Rydalch is still facing public criticism after firing police Cpl. Josh Rowell on Oct. 21. Rowell was later suspended and then reinstated by the Town Council on Oct. 29.

Rowell had stopped Rydalch's 29-year-old son outside a DUI checkpoint and issued him a citation for driving without a license. Mayor Rydalch demanded Rowell's badge.

Last week, the town showed overwhelming support for Rowell, one of five officers in the town, and the four-member council voted to put Rowell back in uniform, pay him back wages and remove the incident from his personnel record.

Whitney received 75 percent of the vote Tuesday in a race that saw nearly 69 percent voter turnout.

Before the Rydalch vs. Rowell scandal, Whitney was the underdog in the race. Whitney moved to Stockton three years ago and is a newcomer in a town where many have lifelong roots. He's been serving on the Town Council for 1 1/2 years; the council voted him into the spot in 2008 after another councilman quit. He was previously chairman of the Planning Commission.

Whitney, father of 7- and 10-year-old boys, said he's appreciated the overwhelming support from residents.

"I thought I could communicate more as mayor," he said. "I felt that I have a lot to offer to the town."

And while the media circus has drawn national attention to Stockton, Whitney plans to use it to the town's advantage, enticing tourists with the town's rich history, canyon trails and a great Main Street cafe.

Among his first actions in office will be analyzing how and where the town is spending taxpayers' money and seeing that the new sewer system gets off the ground, he said.

And while "things got out of hand" with Rydalch, Whitney said he's focusing on the positive — like working with a Town Council that unanimously backed the police department.

Although the legality of the council's decision was debated last week (there were questions over whether a third-party investigation is needed), Stockton attorney Curt Morris said the mayor has backed off and will not contest the town's four-member board vote.

Rydalch will not return media phone calls at the advice of an attorney.

e-mail: astowell@desnews.com