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Council candidates emphasize budgets, roads and communication at Mona forum
Summary
Three council candidates at a Mona forum highlighted financial oversight, road repairs and resident communication as priorities; all urged residents to use the council agenda process to appeal decisions.
Jennifer Fox Donaldson, a council candidate and certified public accountant, said Tuesday she would bring financial oversight and intergovernmental relationships to the council if elected. "I speak in numbers," Fox Donaldson said, citing decades of accounting work and contacts at the state level that she said help get results from agencies such as Social Security and Medicare.
Devin Ingram, a local excavation contractor and candidate, told the forum his infrastructure experience and small-business budgeting prepare him for council duties. "I know quite a bit about infrastructure — water, gas, power — and I run a small business," Ingram said, adding he values teamwork and practical problem solving.
Tony Openshaw, who worked for the city for many years and is running for council, described hands-on municipal experience as his chief qualification and said honesty and unity guide his approach. "If we're united together and we trust each other, we're gonna talk about this," Openshaw said.
Candidates faced questions about resident appeals of council decisions. All three said the formal route is to get on the council agenda and present the issue; Fox Donaldson emphasized earlier communication before a decision is made. "Come before the council. Let's hear what you have to say," she said.
On economic development without raising homeowner taxes, candidates proposed a mix of grants and developer-funded impact fees. Fox Donaldson mentioned seeking grants and learning from other cities through organizations such as the Utah League of Cities; Ingram and Openshaw pointed to limited commercial land and water constraints in Mona and suggested developers bear infrastructure upgrade costs.
Outreach and emergency notification were raised after a recent water shutoff. Candidates described a mix of postings at public locations, social-media updates, text messaging and phone trees as effective ways to reach residents. "It's all over Facebook," Ingram said of recent notices, while Openshaw urged posting in multiple locations and word-of-mouth for those not on social media.
On the council's most pressing items, Fox Donaldson emphasized budgets and financial accounting; Ingram prioritized road repairs; Openshaw pointed to long-term sewer-system maintenance dating to 2008 as a generational challenge.
The council segment lasted about an hour and closed with the moderator inviting further in-person follow-up. Ballots were announced as mailed Oct. 14, with Election Day on Nov. 4.
