Get to Know your Elected Officials

By: William Finlayson

The Heber Valley is growing, and every day more and more decisions are made that will impact its future. Do we want bike lanes, and if so, where? How about city parks? And how will we attract and react to tourism? What about community services? New development? Infrastructure improvements? The answers to these questions directly affect Heber Valley residents — and that means you!

Does Your Voice Matter?

If you think that you don’t have a say in these decisions, you couldn’t be further from the truth. The Heber Valley is a representative democracy, which means that we decide who our mayor and council members are through voting. These elected officials then go on to make decisions about our municipality on our behalves.

The Heber Valley has fall elections every year for open positions on the city and county councils. The mayor and council members serve four-year terms, but since the terms are staggered, different positions are open each year.

And, yes, your vote matters. Last year, during the 2017 elections in Wasatch County, only 46.98 percent of registered voters turned out to vote for their representatives. Considering that Mayor Kellen Potter won with only 58.59 percent of the total votes cast in Heber and Mayor Celeste Johnson won with 57.31 percent, the margin of victory was small and every vote mattered. Was yours one of them?

Who Is Making The Decisions That Impact Your City?

Local laws and policies governing the municipalities within the Heber Valley are made by councils. Your mayor sits at the head of a council, and he or she works together with the other council members to develop and propose policies for their respective municipality. The councils meet regularly to discuss current issues, and each member contributes their opinion until they all come to a consensus. After a decision is made, the mayor ensures that the policies are adopted by the city.

The mayor also represents the voice of the people when communicating with the many city departments and organizations. For instance, when your neighborhood wants new bike lanes designated, it’s the mayor who contacts the traffic department to get them. From proposing bills to passing laws, the mayor and the council ensure order and contentment in their municipality by listening to the voices of their citizens and making decisions that contribute to the overall well-being of the valley.

Have An Opinion On An Issue Affecting Your City/County?

One of the best ways to speak directly with your representatives is to attend city council meetings. Each city and county have their own council meetings where they discuss current issues and policies, and listen to what their citizens have to say. Can’t make it to the meetings? You can visit your city’s website for the meetings’ agendas, minutes or audio recordings to find out what’s going on in your area.

Want To Get Involved?

Call or write the representatives of your city. They’re friendly — we promise — and they want to hear from you!
• Support the community organizations you love.
• Research topics that interest you. (Who knows? Maybe you’ll discover a passion for zoning laws!).
• Speak up about issues: to neighbors, friends and council members.

We contacted representatives throughout the Heber Valley and asked them to introduce themselves. If you want to reach out and meet them yourself, you’ll find each member’s contact information in the pages that follow.

Wasatch County Council

Kendall Crittenden
(Heber S,S-D)

Kendall grew up in Hoytsville, Utah and received a degree in elementary education. He has worked for the Wasatch County School District for 41 years.

“Thirteen years ago, I was encouraged to run for council and decided that would be a good way to give back to the community. I have enjoyed my time on the council and try to represent my constituents well.”

[email protected]
Term: 1/2016 – 1/2020

Steve Farrell
(At-Large-Seat B)

Steve studied at Wasatch High School and then Utah State University.

[email protected]
Term: 1/2016 – 1/2020

Danny Goode
(Heber N, S-C)

Danny grew up on a small cattle ranch in Damon, Texas (current population about 500). He has a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Houston–Victoria and an Master in Business administration from the University of Texas– Dallas. Danny is the financial coordinator, office manager, Certified Paraoptometric and all-around-everything-as-needed person at Mountain View Family Eyecare.

[email protected]
Term: 1/2014 – 1/2018

Did You Know?

The Wasatch County Council (WCC) is the legislative body for Wasatch County. They are responsible for all ordinances, resolutions, budgets and the county code. The council consists of 7 members from 5 geographic regions. The WCC acts as the governing board for the following Special Service District’s and organizations:
• Constitutional Taking
• Emergency Medical Services
• Wasatch County Event Center
• Fire Special Service District (SSD)
• North Village SSD
• Parks and Recreation SSD
• Rodeo
• Solid Waste SSD
• Strawberry Lake View SSD
• TRRT
• Twin Creeks SSD
• Wasatch County Special Service Area #1

Greg McPhie
(County N,S-F)

Greg is a sixth-generation Heberite. He graduated from Wasatch High School and studied electrical at what was once Utah Valley Community College. He currently provides electrical services in Heber. “My parents taught me that it’s our obligation to be involved and make the best decisions for who we know and love. It’s very fulfilling knowing that you are doing the right thing for the folks you live with.”

[email protected]
Term: 1/2014 – 1/2018

Mark Nelson
(Midway,S-E)

Mark grew up in Ephraim, Utah and in Orem before his family moved to Las Vegas. He attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and transferred to BYU, where he earned degrees in business management and economics. He is the executive director of the Heber Valley Historic Railroad. “I love Heber Valley and wanted to try and help manage the explosive growth in a way that will preserve our unique character and charm.”

[email protected]
Term: 1/2016 – 1/2020

Spencer Park
(County S,S-G)

Spencer grew up in Wallsburg, Utah and graduated from Wasatch High School. He completed his civil engineering degree at USU and returned to Wasatch County to begin his career and raise a family. Ten years ago, he started a small business in Heber, Park Engineering, which he continues to run today.

[email protected]
Term: 1/2016 – 1/2020

Mike Petersen
(At-Large-Seat A)

Mike graduated from BYU with a degree in business management. He was the president of Emergency Preparedness Center inc. and Harveston Farms for 26 years. He is the owner of Heber Valley Properties and founded Copper Top Storage and Heber Valley Storage.

[email protected]
Term: 1/2014 – 1/2018

Heber City

Kelleen Potter
Mayor

Kelleen grew up in Ogden and graduated from Brigham Young University (BYU) with a bachelor’s degree in political science and a Secondary Education Certifi cation. She recently earned her Master of Public Administration.

“I really enjoyed being on the city council and decided I could make a difference as mayor. I
believe that citizens have the responsibility to get involved if they want good government.”

[email protected]
Term: 1/2018 – 1/2022

Jeffery R. Bradshaw

Jeff has lived in Heber since 1949. He graduated from Wasatch High School and studied accounting at BYU, where he earned a bachelor’s degree. He’s had an accounting practice in Heber since 1974.

“I wanted to serve on the city council because I feel that I have the capacity and the interest to make good, common sense decisions that will make this place a better place to live.”

[email protected]
Term: 1/2016 – 1/2020

Ronald Crittenden

Ron grew up in Coalville, Utah, before earning a Bachelor of Science in business management from BYU. He as a wide variety of professional experience, including a four-year term as Wasatch County treasurer. Ron spent nine years working for two U.S. congressmen in Utah and Washington D.C., and was Congressman Howard Nielson’s Utah State congressional director.

[email protected]
Term: 1/2016 – 1/2020

Heidi Franco

Heidi was born and raised in Pleasant Grove, Utah, and moved to the Heber Valley in 1995. She graduated from BYU with a Bachelor of Arts in political science and earned a master’s degree in public administration. She went on to receive her doctorate in political science from the University of Utah.

“The people in this valley have blessed my family in so many ways that I felt it was time to give back.”

[email protected]
Term: 1/2018 – 1/2022

Wayne Hardman

Wayne grew up in Heber and graduated from Wasatch High School in 1967. After an honorable discharge from the Army and years of work experience, he attended Utah Valley University (UVU) and received a degree in electronics, with an emphasis in automation and robotics. He retired from the Utah Transit Authority in March 2015.

[email protected]
Term: 1/2018 – 1/2022

Jeffrey W. Smith

Jeff grew up in Hoytsville, Utah, and graduated from North Summit High School. He received a Bachelor of Arts in accounting from UVU and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Utah. Jeff became a licensed Certifi ed Public Accountant and has worked for many large accounting companies. He is the controller at MIRO Industries, Inc., a light-manufacturing company in Heber.

[email protected]
Term: 1/2016 – 1/2020

Council Meeting Schedule

MIDWAY

The second and fourth Wednesdays of each month at 6 p.m. 160 W. Main Street, Midway

HEBER CITY

The first and third Thursdays of each month at 5 p.m. 75 N. Main Street, Heber City

WASATCH COUNTY

The first and third Wednesdays of each month at 6 p.m. 25 N. Main Street, Heber City

Midway City

Celeste T. Johnson
Mayor

Celeste has lived in northern California and Hawaii, and now resides in Utah. She studied interior design at BYU, previously owned two small businesses and is the director of corporate sales at Mrs. Call’s Candy.

“I love this town! I feel that my leadership skills could be put to good use as we navigate the tricky ground between growth and maintaining our rural character.”

[email protected]
Term: 1/2018 – 1/2022

Lisa Christen

Lisa has lived in Midway most of her life, aside from attending college, going on a mission and spending a few years living in Heber. She has been a licensed realtor for 18 years and has managed a Midway business for 12 years.

“I am very passionate about Midway. I felt like you can only make a difference if you get involved.”

[email protected]
Term: 1/2016 – 1/2020

Jeff Drury

Jeff’s house in Midway is 100 yards from the house he grew up in. He received a bachelor’s degree in business management from Utah Valley University (UVU) and a master’s degree in management information systems from Utah State University (USU). He is a technical solutions architect – a self-proclaimed “professional nerd” – for Cisco Systems.

“I love Midway and everything it has to offer. I ran for city council to give back to the community that has given me so much.”

[email protected]
Term: 1/2018 – 1/2022

Bob Probst

“The people in this valley have blessed my family in so many ways that I felt it was time to give back.”

[email protected]
Term: 1/2018 – 1/2022

Jared J.C. Simonsen

Jared is from central Utah and has lived in the Heber Valley with his family since 2006. He majored in computer science and now designs and builds software systems.

“We all should be willing to contribute. I had the strange feeling my number had come up. I hope only to serve and to learn.”

[email protected]
Term: 1/2018 – 1/2022

Ken Van Wagoner

Ken is a lifelong resident of Midway. He served as Wasatch County Sheriff, and has 30 years of law- inforcement experience. He has served as a member of the Midway City Council, the Midway Boosters and the Midway Planning Commission.

[email protected]
Term: 1/2016 – 1/2020