VOTERS'
GUIDE: Smithfield council candidates compare platforms
By Kathryn Kemp
October 22, 2005 | SMITHFIELD -- The
race for mayor and city council in Smithfield is winding
up, and the Smithfield Chamber of Commerce decided it
was time for the community to hear what the candidates
had to say.
A Meet the Candidates night was held Thursday night
at the Birch Creek Golf Course to give the four candidates
for city council and the candidates for mayor time to
share their visions. Running unopposed for mayor is
Chad Downs, and running for the two open city council
seats are Chris Daines, Janice Mikkelsen, Kris Monson,
and Dennis Watkins. Mikkelsen and Monson are both currently
on the council and are hoping for re-election.
Candidates had a few minutes to introduce themselves
and talk about why they wanted to be on the city council,
and then answer a few questions.
Dennis Watkins has been a resident of Smithfield
for 34 years. He has wanted to run for several years,
and this year he is finally able to seek office. He
owns the Denny's Stationary stores in Smithfield and
Logan, and would like to provide a different kind of
perspective to the council. He feels it is important
that they have a good balance on the council, and would
like to provide the businessman's approach. One of Watkins'
major goals is to improve communication between the
city and the citizens.
"There's a real feeling that we don't have any input,"
he said. His goal is to give them that input. Watkins
says this is his way of saying thank you to everyone
who has worked so hard over the years to make Smithfield
what it is. "The city's been good to me and I appreciate
that."
Janice Mikkelsen is a current city council
member who has lived in Smithfield for 26 years. She
says she is proud of the progress that has been made
in the four years that she has been on the council.
A new fire station has been built, an ambulance service
was established, and she helped in the "retooling" of
the city master plan. "I really would like to continue
to serve over the next four years," she said.
If re-elected, Mikkelsen would like to make sure that
the new library and city office complex get completed.
She wants to keep development from going to far up into
the foothills, and continue to expand communication
with the citizens. "I can honestly say I've tried very
hard to listen to the input of the citizens."
Kris Monson was unable to attend the meeting
because she was out of town, but her daughter Marci
Monson provided a statement from Monson. Monson is also
currently a member of the city council, and she has
also worked with the city's youth council, and the Planning
and Zoning Commission.
Monson would like to continue building the new library,
and including the old library as part of the plans.
"I feel we need to keep our beautiful, old buildings
as they are part of our heritage," she said. She would
like to keep watch over development both on the west
side of town where people want to keep its "country
feel", and on the east side up in the foothills. Monson
says that she has gained a great education from working
on the city council and says, "I would like to put the
knowledge I have into the next four years and feel I
can be even more productive right from the start."
Chris Daines was also unavailable and Dean
Martineau read a statement for him. Daines has lived
in Smithfield for over eight years, and is an attorney
with his own practice. He has past experience in government
working on the Nibley planning commission and the Smithfield
Board of Adjustments. Martineau said that he finds Daines
to be "very honorable, very approachable, and very capable."
When Daines is presented with an issue, he says before
he votes he will consider three questions: 1) Will this
action promote liberty? 2) Will this action promote
civility? 3) Will this action promote simplicity? "It
the answers to all three questions is 'yes' then I will
probably vote for the measure. If the answer to all
three is 'no' then I will probably vote against." He
says the principles are listed in order of importance,
and will rarely ever have some answered no and some
yes. "By asking these questions, I hope to maintain
some consistency in decisions over time," he said.
Chad E. Downs is the candidate who is running
unopposed for mayor of Smithfield. Downs was out of
town teaching for USU, and also asked that a statement
be read for him. He promised that he will cut back his
time at the university in order to devote the time he
needs to spend as mayor. He says that any decisions
or recommendations that come from the mayor's office
will have two questions in mind; is it good for the
citizens, and is it affordable?
Downs believes that the citizens will find him available
and approachable. "The high quality of life today in
Smithfield City is evidence of strong current and past
citizen leadership, and I hope to build upon that foundation."
Elections will be held Nov. 8.
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