The 2023 election cycle is around the corner, Cedar Valley Sentinel sent out an invitation to all of the Candidates running for office in Fairfield and Eagle Mountain with an invitation to answer a set of questions. Over the course of the next few weeks we will be publishing those questions and the answers provided from the candidates. If you have missed any, or would like to go back and review them, you can do so by visiting this link: Cedar Valley 2023 Election Center. #2023
Question: Why are you running for city council/mayor and what motivated you to get involved in local government?
Alina Pringle
Fairfield Council Seat A
I enjoy being an active participant in guiding the future of where I live, work and play. I have served as the chair of the planning commission for three years and have an in depth understanding of the town’s goals, challenges and future plan. Fairfield is facing new growth pressures that needs experience to guide it in the most rewarding direction.
Melissa Clark
Eagle Mountain City Council
As a mother, wife, and business leader, the safety and vitality of Eagle Mountain are a huge priority. As a longtime resident of Eagle Mountain, I appreciate the city’s unique character and natural beauty. I am committed to responsible growth that preserves the city’s heritage while creating opportunities for future generations. I believe in investing in essential infrastructure, maintaining a safe and vibrant community, and protecting the Eagle Mountain way of life.
Hollie McKinney
Fairfield Mayor
I have served on the town council for almost 8 years. I have decided to run for Mayor because I believe I can provide strong effective leadership. I see a need for improved organization, communication, efficiency and decision making. I am running for mayor for the Towns sake not for my self interest.
Rich Wood
Eagle Mountain City Council
I am running for a third time for city council. I got involved when I asked Mayor Pengra to appoint me to the planning commission in 2017 to fill a vacated seat. After 3 years on the planning commission and serving as the chairman the last year, it became evident to me that many of the codes I wrote, decisions I made and attempts to fulfill my responsibilities as a planning commissioner were either never presented in the form they left the commission, were presented and never evaluated or were viewed as a check mark at fulfilling the state mandated commission. That didn’t sit well with me so I ran in 2019. I learned a lot about how people absorb election campaign information and how few really engaged in the process of getting to know candidates and their plan. I ran again in 2021 in a very tight race. There were approximately 5000 ballots counted and I lost by 34 votes to the incumbent. I ran on and am still concerned about how we are growing as a city, how we are frozen in making the right decisions now instead of always waiting for the “best scenario” to execute, or worse in fighting between elected officials and elected officials and staff.
Jared R Gray
Eagle Mountain City Council
After four years as a city council member, I have loved serving my community. My family and friends live here and I want Eagle Mountain to be a great place to call home.
Angelina Washburn
Eagle Mountain City Council
1. As a small business owner I have seen how Eagle Mountain has grown and transitioned in its residential vs business mindsets. I would love to work in creating processes and systems to make it work well for everyone. I would love small business owners to flourish in Eagle Mountain and I think the city can help. It would benefit both.
2. I really want to increase city/community initiatives for youth. I think this should be a top-pillar focus for the city. Engaging youth and their families will help to foster a purpose/responsibility in the community. Issues of bullying, suicide, depression, etc… can be helped when youth have confidence in themselves and what they are becoming.
3. Roads. Eagle Mountain is growing so fast that our roads are not able to keep up. I would love to chase funding for road projects. Work with city planning as well as county, state, federal, and private programs to find more funding options and arrange infrastructure plans.
Craig Whiting
Eagle Mountain City Council
Eagle Mountain is currently creating a transient community where many people move out of the city as soon as their economic opportunity affords them. We need to change this dynamic RIGHT NOW. When I interview my northern Utah County buyers and ask them where they want to purchase, Eagle Mountain is almost always their last choice. That’s why I’m running: we need to create a city where Eagle Mountain is the FIRST CHOICE. The fastest way we’ll achieve this vision of a strong, stable community, with stable schools, and citizens that live here for decades, is if Eagle Mountain makes a conscious effort to compete on its primary competitive advantage: LAND. Eagle Mountain has the opportunity to produce many quality subdivisions of large lot sizes, keeping it rural and distinctive in the Wasatch Front, making it a unique and conscious choice for buyers. Data points support this vision, and I’ll put my energy in helping bring this vision to pass.
Scott Ferre
Eagle Mountain City Council
I am running for city council primarily out of motivation to serve the city I have come to love. I moved to Eagle Mountain 10 years ago and believe in the amazing potential of this city. I am interested in helping the city with growth and development while preserving the areas for outdoor activities that brought me here to live. Overall, I am happy with the direction of the city and the actions of current leaders. I would like the opportunity to contribute and sustain that momentum.
Michael Weber
Fairfield Council Seat A
Town Council Seat A
Craig Morris
Eagle Mountain City Council
No responses to questions returned.
Mike Kieffer is an IT geek by hobby and trade, with a BS in Information Systems & Technology. He is a proud father of 10, a grandpa, an author, a journalist, and internet publisher. His motto is to “Elevate, Inspire and Inform”, and he is politically conservative and a Christian. Mike has a passion for technology, writing, and helping others. With a wealth of experience, he is committed to sharing his knowledge with others to help them reach their full potential. He is known for his jackassery or his form of self-expression that encourages boldness, creativity, and risk-taking. It can be a way to push the boundaries and challenge traditional norms, leading to creative solutions and positive change.