Get Informed: A Look at Eagle Mountain Mayor and City Council Candidates’ Contributions and Expenditures

To help residents make informed decisions for the upcoming Eagle Mountain City Official Nonpartisan Primary Ballot on August 12, 2025, this overview provides detailed campaign finance information for candidates running for Mayor and City Council. Voters will select one candidate for Mayor and up to two for City Council. The data presented includes each candidate’s total contributions and total campaign expenditures, offering transparency into the financial aspects of their campaigns. This information is crucial for understanding how candidates are funding their campaigns and where their money is being spent.

The following table summarizes the campaign finance statements for all mayoral and city council candidates, presented in the order they appear on the ballot.

Candidate Name	Candidacy	Total Contributions	Total Campaign Expenditures
Donna Rivera Burnham	Mayor	$215.00 ($140.00 cash + $75.00 in-kind)	$1,311.42
Melissa Clark	Mayor	$15,669.34 ($11,990.00 cash + $3,679.34 in-kind)	$13,333.43 ($9,654.09 cash + $3,679.34 in-kind)
Tom Westmoreland	Mayor	$19,650.00 (from donors > $25)	$9,170.93
Duncan J. Searcy	Mayor	$0 (from donors > $25); $0 (aggregate <= $25)	$2,309.06
Jared R. Gray	Mayor	$6,550.00 (from donors > $25)	$6,062.52
Emily Buss	City Council	$650.00 ($50.00 cash + $600.00 in-kind)	$227.84
Brett L Wright	City Council	$7,045.75 (from loans by Brett Wright; no other contributions from donors > $25 or aggregate <= $25)	$7,045.75
Craig Whiting	City Council	$2,653.55 (self-funded; no other contributions from donors > $25 or aggregate <= $25)	$2,653.55
Laura Jensen	City Council	$0.00	$2,183
Oreta M Tupola	City Council	$750.00 (from donors > $25)	$525.78
Charlotte Ducos	City Council	$70.00 ($50.00 from donors > $25 + $20.00 aggregate <= $25; $0 in-kind)	$941.19

Top 10 Campaign Contributors

Analyzing the various campaign finance statements reveals the largest contributors across all campaigns. These individuals or entities have provided the most significant financial support to the candidates. It’s important to note that “Self Fund” and “Loans” are included if they represent the largest contributions from an individual or couple to their own campaign.

Here are the top 10 contributors and the candidates they supported:

• Brett L Wright: Contributed $7,045.75 to his own City Council campaign through loans.
• Jared R. Gray (Self Fund): Contributed $6,000.00 to his own Mayoral campaign.
• Jacinda Montano: Contributed a total of $5,000.00 to Melissa Clark’s Mayoral campaign.
• Monte Vista Ranch LC: Contributed $5,000.00 to Tom Westmoreland’s Mayoral campaign.
• Build PAC Utah: Contributed $4,000.00 to Tom Westmoreland’s Mayoral campaign.
• Wayne Patterson: Contributed $3,000.00 to Tom Westmoreland’s Mayoral campaign.
• Craig & Stephanie Whiting: Contributed $2,653.55 (self-funded) to Craig Whiting’s City Council campaign.
• UTAH CENTRAL Association of Realtors: Contributed $2,500.00 to Tom Westmoreland’s Mayoral campaign.
• The Governing Group PAC: Provided $2,179.34 in in-kind contributions (website help, graphic design, video editing, marketing consulting) to Melissa Clark’s Mayoral campaign.
• Khosrow Semnani: Contributed $2,000.00 to Tom Westmoreland’s Mayoral campaign.

Eagle Mountain City 2025 Primary Election – Campaign Contributor Classification

Based on the classifications and contributor details, here’s a summary of the primary industries or sources of financial support for each Eagle Mountain City candidate in the 2025 primary election:

🏛️ Mayoral Candidates

Donna Rivera Burnham
Primary Source: Individual Residents / Community Members

Melissa Clark
Primary Sources: Individuals (Family, Friends, Local Supporters), Political Consulting / PAC Support

Tom Westmoreland
Primary Sources: Real Estate Development & Land Use Industry, Home Builders Associations (Build PAC), Political and Trade Associations (e.g., Realtors)

Duncan J. Searcy
Primary Source: None

Jared R. Gray
Primary Sources: Self-funded, Local Small Business (Auto Repair), Individual Donors

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👥 City Council Candidates

Emily Buss
Primary Sources: Family & Individual Supporters, Local Service/Trade Business (Truck N’ Roden)

Brett L. Wright
Primary Source: Self-funded

Craig Whiting
Primary Source: Self-funded

Laura Jensen
Primary Source: None

Oreta M. Tupola
Primary Source: Individual Supporters (Professional & Personal Connections)

Charlotte Ducos
Primary Source: Individual Supporters

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🔎 Summary by Industry (Across All Candidates)

• Real Estate & Development: Most prominent for Tom Westmoreland
• Political Consulting / PACs: Notably supports Melissa Clark
• Small Business / Local Services: Present in support of Jared Gray and Emily Buss
• Self-Funded Campaigns: Key for Jared Gray, Brett Wright, and Craig Whiting
• Individual Grassroots Support: Dominant for Burnham, Tupola, and Ducos

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The following is a detailed breakdown of campaign contributors for each candidate in the Eagle Mountain City primary election (August 12, 2025). Each contributor is classified by type (business/organization or individual), along with contextual information where relevant. All contributions are drawn from the official campaign finance statements for the primary election, and donors are categorized as Individual (private person/family) or by their organizational type (e.g., business, association, PAC).

Mayoral Candidates

Donna Rivera Burnham

• Pat Buchanan Family – Individual. (Listed as a family contribution; presumably a local family supporting the campaign.)
• Shauna & Bruce Haslam – Individuals. (Private donors, a local couple.)
• Jordan Ireland – Individual. (In-kind contributor who provided sign design services; a personal/non-corporate donation.)

Melissa Clark

• Nathan & Melissa Clark – Individuals (Candidate & Spouse). The candidate herself (Melissa) and her spouse Nathan contributed to the campaign (multiple cash contributions totaling $2,000). This is effectively self-funding by the candidate’s family.
• Jacinda Montano – Individual. (Private donor who contributed cash in two installments totaling $5,000.)
• Colby Curtis – Individual. (Former Eagle Mountain City Council member and local resident, contributing as a private citizen.)
• Bryan Jeppson – Individual. (Local resident and business owner; Bryan Jeppson operates Jeppson Automotive Repair, a family-owned auto service business in Eagle Mountain.)
• Geri & Chris Bohn – Individuals. (Local couple contributing privately to the campaign.)
• Skyler Beltran – Individual. (Local official – Skyler Beltran is a Utah County Commissioner and former Eagle Mountain GOP leader – contributing in a personal capacity.)
• Rodney Clark – Individual. (Private donor, likely a relative or local supporter; contributed as an individual.)
• Nicole Miles – Individual. (Private donor contributing as an individual.)
• Dana & Rachael Smith – Individuals. (Local couple making a personal contribution.)
• Jefferson Moss – Individual. (Utah state legislator; Jefferson Moss is a member of the Utah House of Representatives, contributing from personal funds as an individual supporter.)
• The Governing Group – Business/Organization. (Political consulting group. The Governing Group is a Utah-based political organization founded in 2023 to support candidates; it operates a PAC arm. This entry likely refers to the organization itself contributing cash.)
• Carolina Herrin – Individual. (Private donor contributing as an individual.)
• Chandler Fausett – Individual. (Donated in-kind services for a campaign video; likely a local videographer contributing personal service, not a company donation.)
• The Governing Group PAC – Political Action Committee. (A political action committee affiliated with The Governing Group. Established in Dec 2023 by former Rep. Becky Edwards, it supports candidates with financial and in-kind contributions. In this case, the PAC provided in-kind support valued at $2,179.34 for website assistance, graphic design, video editing, and marketing consulting.)

Tom Westmoreland

• Utah Central Association of Realtors – Organization (Trade Association PAC). The local Realtors association’s political fundraising arm. This is a realtor trade association contributing via its PAC funds (classified under NAICS 8139 as a Business/Professional/Political organization). In other words, the real estate industry (Realtors) supporting the campaign.
• Wayne Patterson – Individual. (Private donor; likely a local resident or businessman contributing personal funds.)
• Khosrow Semnani – Individual. (Prominent Utah businessman and philanthropist. Khosrow B. Semnani is an industrialist based in Salt Lake City known for philanthropy; his contribution is a personal donation.)
• John & Susan Curtis – Individuals. (John Curtis is a U.S. politician – he served as the U.S. Representative for Utah’s 3rd District from 2017–2025 and is now a U.S. Senator – and Susan is his wife. Their contribution was a personal donation from the couple.)
• Friends of Spencer Cox – Political Campaign Committee. (This is the official campaign fund/committee of Utah Governor Spencer Cox. The donation represents support coming from Governor Cox’s campaign account, indicating a political contribution from a high-profile elected official’s fund.)
• DAI Managers LLC – Business (Real Estate Development Company). DAI Managers, LLC is a company associated with developer Nate Shipp and the Pole Canyon/Firefly development project in Eagle Mountain. This company (the project applicant) contributed to Mayor Westmoreland’s campaign, reflecting a developer donation.
• Ali Rajati – Individual. (Private donor contributing as an individual; not publicly known, likely a local resident or businessperson.)
• Jason Ravanti – Individual. (Private donor contributing personal funds; likely a local resident. Note: Name as listed, could be a misspelling of a local individual’s name.)
• Telepresanni – Business Entity. (This appears to be a company or organization contributing to the campaign. Telepresanni is not a known individual; it is likely a business entity or corporate donor. Details about this entity are not readily available in public records – it may be a small company or an entity associated with a supporter.)
• Bridgerland Development Inc – Business (Real Estate Development). A development company (likely involved in Utah real estate projects). The name suggests a firm associated with property development (possibly based in Utah; Bridgerland often refers to northern Utah region). This donation indicates support from a developer or real estate business.
• Build PAC Utah – Political Action Committee (Home Builders PAC). This is the PAC for the home building industry, affiliated with the National Association of Home Builders (“BUILD-PAC” is NAHB’s political action committee). In other words, the home builders’ industry PAC contributed to Westmoreland.
• Gary Domille – Individual. (Private donor contributing personal funds; not publicly known, likely a local community member or businessman.)
• Monte Vista Ranch LC – Business (Land Development Company). Monte Vista Ranch, L.C. is a Utah-registered company (a limited company) involved in land ownership/development. It was an early landowner in Eagle Mountain’s incorporation era and remains a business entity (having employees and assets as a company). This represents a contribution from a land development company.

Duncan J. Searcy

• No contributions reported. (Duncan Searcy’s finance report shows $0 raised – no donors above $25, and no small contributions in aggregate. Essentially, his campaign was not funded by any reportable contributions.)

Jared R. Gray

• Pat Buchanan – Individual. (Listed as “Pat Bucanan” in records – this appears to refer to the same Pat Buchanan Family donor listed under Donna Burnham. It’s an individual/family donor contributing $100 in cash.)
• Jeppson Auto – Business (Local Automotive Company). This is a contribution from Jeppson Automotive Repair, a local family-owned auto repair business in Eagle Mountain. (Notably, the owner’s family also gave to another candidate, indicating community business support.)
• Jesse Wright – Individual. (Private donor contributing personal funds; likely a local resident. Possibly no relation to Brett Wright, but just a supporter sharing a common last name.)
• Self-Funded (Jared Gray) – Individual (Candidate). Jared Gray contributed $6,000 of his own money to his campaign (personal funds). This indicates a significant portion of his campaign was self-financed by the candidate.

City Council Candidates

Emily Buss

• Christina Harrison – Individual. (Private donor contributing $50 cash; likely a friend or local resident supporter of Emily Buss.)
• Truck N’ Roden – Business/Organization. (An in-kind contributor of services or goods worth $500. The name suggests a vehicle-related contribution – possibly the loan of a truck or equipment by someone named Roden. This is classified as a business entity or assumed trade name for the contributor, rather than an individual’s name.)
• Joel Buss – Individual. (In-kind contribution of $100 in campaign signs. Joel Buss is likely the candidate’s spouse or relative, providing material support; this is essentially a self/family in-kind donation.)

Brett L. Wright

• Brett L. Wright – Individual (Candidate self-funding). Brett Wright loaned money to his own campaign in four installments (totaling $7,045.75 in personal loans). These contributions are the candidate’s personal funds, indicating his campaign was entirely self-financed by himself.

Craig Whiting

• Craig & Stephanie Whiting – Individuals (Candidate & Spouse). The campaign was funded by the candidate Craig Whiting and his spouse Stephanie with a self-funded amount of $2,653.55 (reported as “self-funded”). This is a personal contribution from the candidate’s family rather than outside donors.

Laura Jensen

• No contributions reported. (Laura Jensen’s report shows $0.00 in contributions. She did not receive any donations for her council campaign, meaning no outside contributors and no self-funding above the reporting threshold.)

Oreta M. Tupola

• Ivette Lopez – Individual. (Private donor contributing $500 cash; likely a friend, family member, or associate supporting the campaign.)
• Bill Imada – Individual. (Donor contributing $250. Bill Imada is a notable business professional – he is the co-founder and chairman of IW Group, a marketing and communications firm – but in this context he is contributing as a private individual. His support may indicate a personal or professional connection to the candidate, as he is based outside the local area in the advertising industry.)

Charlotte Ducos

• Mitch Hall – Individual. (Donated $50, noted as for the filing fee; a private donor, possibly a friend or supporter helping cover the candidate’s filing cost.)
• Carrie Barker – Individual. (Donated $20 cash; a private individual supporter contributing a small amount.)

Sources: The above classifications are based on the campaign finance disclosure statements and public information about the donors. Organizational donors have been identified via business records and known industry affiliations (e.g., Utah Central Assoc. of Realtors as a Realtor trade association, BUILD PAC as the National Association of Home Builders PAC, etc.). Notable individual donor roles are confirmed through public biographical sources (for example, John Curtis and Jefferson Moss in public office, Khosrow Semnani as a philanthropist, Bill Imada as an advertising executive). The classifications distinguish personal contributions from those made by businesses or political organizations, providing insight into the nature of each contributor supporting the Eagle Mountain City candidates.

Top 10 Campaign Expenditures

An examination of the itemized expenditure statements submitted by candidates reveals the largest individual spending items across all campaigns. These expenditures highlight where candidates are investing their campaign funds. It’s important to note that some expenditures, like in-kind contributions, represent services or goods received and utilized by the campaign rather than direct cash outlays.

Here are the top 10 campaign expenditures reported by the candidates:

• $3,250.12 by Melissa Clark for Banners, yard signs, cards, and design from Ryan’s Design & Print.
• $3,150.27 by Tom Westmoreland for Mailers from Right Strategies.
• $2,179.34 by Melissa Clark for in-kind contributions from The Governing Group PAC, covering website help, graphic design, video editing, and marketing consulting.
• $2,110.58 by Jared R. Gray for Yard Signs from Ryans Design.
• $2,000.00 by Melissa Clark for Advertising from Arena Mail + Digital.
• $1,285.45 by Brett L Wright for Additional billboards and Installation from Becerra Maintenance.
• $1,173.43 by Tom Westmoreland for Campaign Consultant services from Prose Political.
• $987.06 by Melissa Clark for Mailer & Postage from SunPrint Solutions.
• $970.78 by Melissa Clark for Mailer & Postage from SunPrint Solutions.
• $959.71 by Brett L Wright for 4 x 8 Vinyl Banners from Ryans Designs.

As you consider the candidates for Eagle Mountain Mayor and City Council in the upcoming August 12, 2025, Primary Election, the financial insights presented here—detailing campaign contributions and expenditures—are vital for making informed decisions. While we’ve highlighted key aspects such as top contributors and expenditures, we recognize the importance of individual review for a comprehensive understanding. To empower you to draw your own conclusions based on the complete picture, the Cedar Valley Sentinel has meticulously compiled all individual campaign financial disclosures in one convenient, easy-to-review location below. We encourage you to explore these detailed statements to fully understand the financial backing and spending priorities of each candidate.

You can find all of the financial disclosures here:

The Cedar Valley Sentinel does not endorse or oppose any candidate for public office. Our mission is to provide a platform for all candidates to share their views and inform the residents of the communities we serve. We strive to present election coverage that is fair, informative, and nonpartisan.

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