Statesman hosts Logan city Town Hall

Utah State University hosted a Logan municipal candidate town hall meeting on Oct. 20, prior to the election on Nov. 2.

The event, which was put on by The Utah Statesman and the Government Relations Council, or GRC, was an opportunity for USU students to become familiar with the mayoral and council candidates for the city of Logan and was held in the Taggart Student Center.

The event was also broadcasted on Aggie Radio 92.3 FM, live streamed to the Statesman’s YouTube channel and was moderated by USU students Darcy Ritchie, Jacee Caldwell and Dexton Lake.

The town hall was split into two sections, the first focusing on city council candidates and the second focusing on mayoral candidates.

The first section of the town hall focused on questions for city council candidates Amy Anderson, Keegan Garrity and Ernesto Lopez. Questions were provided by Statesman employees, GRC members and Instagram submissions.

The city council candidates were asked about parking in Logan, which relates to USU students living off campus.

“There’s snow from October to March, and street parking is limited during that time,” Garrity said. “I’d love to look at an option to not restrict parking entirely. It seems too restrictive to not allow parking on the street.”

Anderson said she hopes to find an equitable solution for parking across the city of Logan, and Lopez encouraged incentive for public transportation.

Council candidates were also asked how they handled criticism and complaints from the community.

Lopez was the first candidate to respond to the question. He again shifted the conversation in the direction of parking and said students have reached out to him about the issue. He also prided himself on responding to his constituents.

“I try to respond within the day,” Lopez said. “I think that’s one thing we can always do better. And if we don’t know the answer, it’s making sure we figure out who can respond to those questions.”

Anderson responded to the question by talking about issues relating to homelessness, and Garrity brought up issues relating to the council’s election process.

The closing question for the city council candidates asked why they feel they are qualified to hold a position on the council.

Anderson was first to respond. She feels her experience makes her a good candidate, and mentioned her education and experience serving on the council. She has been on the council for four years.

“I hope people have seen that I have that energy, passion and dedication,” Anderson said. “I have the time, the energy and I will always put in the effort to make sure every voice feels like they’re heard.”

In response to the question, Garrity noted his experience working on the school board, and Lopez expressed his love for USU and the community.

The second section of the town hall focused on questions for the mayoral candidates, incumbent Holly Daines and Dee Jones.

The mayoral candidates were first given the opportunity to explain why they felt qualified to hold the position of mayor.

Daines was first to respond, saying that her experience on city council, and previously serving as Logan city mayor, left well qualified to hold office.

Jones said his experience working in corporate marketing makes him a great candidate.

“It takes a business mind to run a city,” Jones said. “A city is a corporation. I was very successful in the corporate world.”

Both candidates were also asked their opinion on coronavirus restrictions including mask and vaccine mandates.

Jones said that he believes masks and vaccinations to be a personal choice.

Daines said it is not the mayor’s job to pass a mandate.

“At this point, I have looked to the governor,” Daines said. “I follow his lead as he tries to advocate and encourage. The best way to defeat this is to get vaccinated, but I’m not in the position to pass mandates.”

Both candidates also commented on the importance of community involvement in municipal politics, and both agree the city needs to more adequately prepare for natural disasters.

In closing, both candidates reiterated the primary focuses of their campaigns.

Daines said she will continue to revitalize downtown, and encouraged those in attendance to register to vote.

Jones said he will increase retention of USU graduates in Logan, and he reemphasized his love for USU.

Emma Dawson and Addie Stewart, both students at USU, decided to sit in on the town hall. They both said they were glad to attend and enjoyed the experience.

Dawson said she specifically enjoyed hearing her local politicians talk about the coronavirus.

“I liked how they were talking about masks and vaccines,” Dawson said. “COVID is not over, and we are seeing new variants.”

Dawson also enjoyed that they talked about parking, but he wished candidates had talked more about representing Logan’s diverse community.

Stewart liked the issues such as housing and parking being brought up.

“I would like to see housing and parking become more available,” Stewart said. “As a freshman, I’ve got a few more years left here, and it’s important for me that there are options available.”

Ethan Conlee, the UU Student Association Student Advocate Vice President, was also in attendance at the town hall and said he is passionate about local government.

“I can’t overstate the importance of students voting in local elections,” Conlee said. “We have a chance to determine the world around us. It’s important that we use our voices to make sure we as students are being represented.”

Conlee also encouraged his peers to get involved.

Alongside the event, the GRC partnered with USUSA, USU College Democrats, USU College Republicans and Conlee to help students get registered to vote in the upcoming election.

The intention of the event, which GRC hosts annually, is to help students become civically engaged as college students, who tend to have lower voter turnout.

Savannah Larson, a senior at USU, is the director of the GRC. She also thinks it’s important for students to be involved in local elections.

“Local elections are where we can have the most impact,” Larson said. “Getting involved locally and advocating for what matters to you is very important on the local level.”

Prior to the town hall, Larson was hoping to hear the candidates discuss issues such as utility rates, downtown development and parking. She also encouraged students to research the candidates’ views on the issues that matter to them.

“Get out and get registered to vote,” Larson said. “Governmental change can’t happen if you aren’t doing your part.”

The Statesman also published candidate profiles on Oct. 18, prior to the town hall event. The municipal candidates were interviewed using questions that relate to the USU student body.

Voter registration for this year’s election cycle closes on Oct. 22. USU students can register to vote locally at any time secure.utah.gov/voterreg.

-Jared.Adams@usu.edu