The Ivins City Council primary election is August 12th. This article won’t tell you who to vote for but offers a few thoughts on how to think about candidates. (Purely by coincidence, they also happen to describe me pretty well.) (See “Why I’m Running“)
One helpful way to think about this is through the idea of civic virtue, a commitment to the common good that keeps our community strong and united. Civic virtue is about more than good intentions. It’s about how leaders approach the real tensions and tradeoffs of local government.
Balancing Individual Rights and Community Responsibility
When I was first elected, I took part in training by the Utah League of Cities & Towns. One key concept they emphasized was the idea of “polarity”: the need to balance individual rights and community needs.
These are not opposing forces where we choose one and discard the other. They are interdependent. Overemphasizing one weakens the whole. A healthy community protects individual freedoms while also upholding shared responsibilities and values.
This is a real issue in Ivins. Some candidates argue that we shouldn’t regulate things like building height, design, landscaping, or home-based businesses because “Ivins is not an HOA.” I’ve heard that many times.
But we’re not an HOA and we’re not an anything-goes town either. Our City Code, hundreds of pages long, reflects our community’s shared vision for the kind of place we want to live in.
I believe in smart, limited regulations that serve a meaningful purpose, like preserving our iconic views, protecting our natural environment, minimizing impacts on neighbors, and ensuring public safety. Ivins has worked hard to maintain a distinct sense of place, and that didn’t happen by accident. It happened through planning, compromise, and yes, regulation.
Other Considerations
When evaluating candidates, here are some other traits worth looking for:
- Do they do their homework, spending time studying complex issues?
- Do they make decisions based on facts, actual data, legal constraints, and long-term consequences?
- Do they focus on long-term sustainability? It’s easy to say you’re against raising taxes. But if we want to keep delivering the level of service our residents expect, we need to be honest about what that will take. Responsible leadership means planning ahead, not just avoiding controversy.
- Have they been engaged all along, or just during campaign season? I value candidates who’ve spoken out on city issues over the past couple of years, not just now that an election is underway.
- Have they gotten their feet wet by serving on the Emergency Preparedness Committee, Sensitive Lands, Planning Commission, Open Space or Heritage Days Committees, or other city-led groups? These experiences help ensure you’re not starting from scratch on City Council.
Want to Know Where the Candidates Stand?
Ivins resident Robert MacFarlane has created a helpful, nonpartisan website with information from each of the candidates, in their own words. You can find it at: https://votestg.com. Once you’re on the site, scroll down and click on “Ivins City Election.” You’ll see links to each candidate’s answers to seven important questions.
“Together Works” is another group that asked a series of candidate questions, different questions than VoteSTG. I didn’t know about this group or the questionnaire until yesterday when a resident asked me why I hadn’t submitted answers like Wayne, Jenny, and Dillon had. I wasn’t refusing, I just didn’t know, so I submitted my answers today. Click here to see the survey responses. I have emailed Kevin, Jamy, Lance, and Shad to let them know about this.
You can also see the “candidate profiles” each candidate submitted to the State (click here). Enter your address then “submit.” Click on “Ivins City Council.”
Final Thought
All of the candidates running are good people who care about Ivins. But serving on the City Council is a unique responsibility. It takes serious effort to understand the complexities of the issues we face—and how policy decisions impact everyone in the community. I hope these ideas help you make a thoughtful decision. Thanks for caring about our city, and for voting.