If you have checked your mailbox in the last couple of days, you have probably received a ballot for Cedar City’s upcoming election. This local election cycle is particularly interesting, as both people running for mayor are Cedar City locals with extensive histories in town. To make the process of choosing a candidate as easy as possible, here is an overview of what stances each candidate holds:
The first candidate is the current mayor, Maile Wilson-Edwards. She is the incumbent, being first elected as mayor in 2013 — the city’s first female mayor.
In addition to her duties as mayor, she is an attorney with Kirton McConkie Law Firm, working in their southern Utah offices in Cedar City and St. George. Some of her accomplishments as mayor have been the completion of the multi-million dollar upgrade to the city’s WasteWater Treatment Plant as well as co-chairing the Iron County Intergenerational Poverty Initiative and securing funds to assist with enhancing programs for middle school-aged students living in intergenerational poverty.
Wilson-Edwards is seeking reelection in what is her third campaign for mayoral office. Her current campaign focuses on issues related to the exponential growth of Cedar’s population. Her plan is to invest in public infrastructure, expanding it before the city’s population booms, and to collaborate with business owners to promote economic development.
She promises to manage the city’s water resources to reduce consumption and promote water retention and to invest in the city’s social areas to encourage an engaged community and healthy economy.
The other candidate is local businessman, Garth Green. Green has lived in Cedar all of his life, graduating from Cedar High School and Southern Utah State College, now Southern Utah University, and started his own business, Southwest Plumbing Supply.
Since announcing his run for candidacy, he has focused his campaign on three major topics to be addressed if he is elected: Strong Leadership, Big Vision, and Infrastructure.
Strong Leadership focuses on working for the desires of those who live in Cedar. Green wants to make sure the city works for the people and wants to represent that desire. Big Vision focuses on keeping jobs for the rising generation in Cedar, rather than them moving away.And with Infrastructure, Green’s improvements wants to focus on getting and maintaining water for the residents of Cedar CIty.
You will have until Oct. 22 at 5 p.m. to register to vote by person or by mail. Then, you will have until Nov. 1 to send in those mail in ballots and Nov. 2 to vote in person.
Voters can check their registration status and view specific sample ballots online here or by calling (435) 477-8340 or emailing clerk.group@ironcounty.net. The in person voting will be held 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Cedar City Council Chambers.
Article by Nathan Baker
Photos courtesy of cedarcity.org and garthgreen.com
