Mayor Holly Daines, city council members reelected

Nov. 2, local elections were held around the state of Utah, including Logan.

Two Logan city council chairs, as well as the mayoral seat were up for election. This election happens every four years.

The incumbent Mayor Holly Daines was reelected, along with incumbents Amy Anderson and Ernesto Lopez for city council.

“I am excited to finish a lot of great projects that we have started from the first term,” Daines said. “In government it takes a while for an idea — with the public hearing process — to get it budgeted — to really move forward. I’m looking forward to having four more years to finish those projects.”

According to Daines, these projects include the revitalization of Center Street, drawing new businesses to the downtown area, a new library building, more trails, neighborhood councils to provide community feedback and a new park in the middle of downtown, with a stage, splash pad and ice rink.

Anderson and Lopez have also been instrumental in helping these projects come to fruition, and Daines is pleased to continue working with them, even going so far as to endorse their campaigns for reelection.

“I have worked with Amy for four years now and Ernesto for a little over a year since he was appointed. They have been very supportive of what I have tried to do,” Daines said. “So, because I knew they were supportive, I’d like to see them continue because we have a common vision, common goals and we work well together.”

“Based on the responses of the city council members, I’m really optimistic about the changes happening in Logan,” said Abby McLinn, a freshman at USU.

Outside of being on city council, Anderson is the director of outreach for the Sunshine Terrace Foundation. She and her family have lived in Logan for 17 years and she hopes to be able to help Logan retain its small-town community as it continues to grow.

“I think it’s such a unique community to have that small-town feel but still have access to some of those bigger city things and the benefits of the university, without maybe all of the accompanying problems,” Anderson said. “But as we grow, we are starting to have some of those problems with traffic and housing, so I’d like to be a part of the group that helps to identify what those solutions are.”

Anderson also believes her background in mediation is an asset to the council.

She said it can be hard for opposing sides to recognize the value in the way that the city government wants to move forward, although she believes her talents can help facilitate that and find common ground to find a solution.

Lopez is one of the newest members of the council, appointed in October 2020 to finish the term of former council member Jess Bradfield. He currently works as an instructional course designer of the extension service at USU. He became the first Hispanic immigrant to serve as a city council member in Logan when first elected, and continues to represent that role.

“Hopefully we can encourage civic engagement, improve the ways we are communicating with the community, see better voter turnout and also more people wanting to participate in the local government,” Lopez said. “And when I say more, I mean from all demographic groups.”

Lopez is also one of the youngest members of the council, which he feels is important in a college town.

“I still feel very young, so I feel like I’m in touch with the youth to a large degree,” Lopez said. “I have two teenagers and so it is in my best interest to understand the challenges and opportunities our youth are facing.”

Daines agreed Logan being a college town is an important issue to the local government.

“The students are such an important part of the population to the economy, and we value the energy and life they bring to the community,” said Daines. “I feel like we have a good relationship with President Cockett and the leaders at the university. At our last council meeting we were able to have some student leaders come down and say hello.”

All of the elected officials encourage students to vote, either here or in their hometown, and to always take part in local elections.

-Maggie.Erekson@usu.edu