Incumbent Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon recently extended his time as mayor with a two-to-one margin victory over his challenger Michael Renckert.
Corroon came to the office at an interesting time. He won the race for mayor in 2004 over incumbent Nancy Workman, who was in trouble for misusing county money, and Ellis Ivory, the Utah home builder who received the Republican Party’s backing at the last minute after it dropped its support for Workman. Corroon being a Democrat, the odds were not in his favor to win.
Now, four years later, Corroon will have the help of a Democratic majority on the county council with incumbent Mark Crockett losing to Democratic challenger Jani Iwamoto.
Corroon said one of his priorities for his next term includes “opening up the oxbow facility as a treatment center for people with substance abuse and mental issues.” This is part of a new criminal justice plan that includes unifying the courts, jails, police forces and treatment advisers.
Corroon also has plans to continue his environmental efforts, which include his “One Million Trees for One Million People” initiative. The mayor’s office is also working to cut down water usage in county-owned facilities and parks. Jim Braden, Corroon’s communication director, even said there is a study in the works to determine if secondary water can be used on county golf courses.
With a new majority on the council, there are also new initiatives Corroon can pursue.
“With the party in power after the census…I will be pushing for independent re-districting, and I think our Democrats will support that,” Corroon said, adding that this would enable Democratic council members an advantage when it comes to election time. The practice of re-districting by the party in power is a common practice in city, state and national politics.
Corroon has won over Republicans and Democrats alike by being more centrist and practical and keeping the county’s welfare in mind, rather than ideological preferences. He is a Democrat, but he has tried to be fiscally responsible, something which both parties could get on board with.
Corroon is a rising stock in the Utah Democratic Party, and because of his popularity, could possibly cash in for a higher office, whether or not he will admit it.
“I love my city, love my county, I love my state and I love my country and would be happy to serve in any capacity,” said Corroon when asked whether he might be considering any other position besides county mayor, especially after Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. said he will not run for another term. However, Corroon said that right now, he is focused on being mayor of the county.
The county mayor does not face as many pressing decisions as does the governor or congressional representatives. However, it is a great proving ground for individuals to gain experience. Corroon has demonstrated that he is more of a moderate Democrat, and like Jim Matheson, has become popular for this stance. He is making the kind of progress in Utah that Democrats should be proud of and that could lead to more diversity in Utah government so there can be checks on the usual overwhelmingly Republican majority.
The Democratic Party would be well served by having Corroon run for a higher office. He could be a good bridge for the Democratic Party to have more say in Utah political decisions. More importantly, this could lead to government that will take into consideration the growing demographic change, which includes more Democrats. The time of Republican-dominated policy is coming closer and closer to the end, and Corroon could make the transition easier for Republicans and Democrats.
Zach Edmunds