North S.L. selects 3 City Council finalists

NORTH SALT LAKE — The field of 19 North Salt Lake residents who applied to fill a vacant seat on the City Council has been narrowed to three.

Former council members Conrad Jacobson and Lisa Watts Baskin made the cut, along with former council candidate Ronald Whitehead.

They are vying to replace Councilman Ron Gordon, who recently announced his resignation following his assignment as president of a new stake — or group of congregations — of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Of the 19 applicants who wanted to fill Gordon's seat, four — Matt Hardy, Lynn Ballard, Jacobson and Baskin — recently served on the City Council.

Hardy lost his bid for re-election in November, and Baskin, whose term ended this month, had run for mayor but lost.

Three of the 19 applicants — John Herndon, Bruce Oblad and Whitehead — had also been candidates for council in 2009, but either lost in the primary or in the November election.On Feb. 2, the City Council will interview the three finalists during a work meeting. The council then will appoint one of them to fill the remaining two years of Gordon's term during its regular meeting at 7 p.m.

— Joseph M. Dougherty