County District 4: Crockett brings experience, caution to council

"Efficient government" is a recurring theme when Salt Lake County Councilman Mark Crockett talks about his goals for a second term in District 4. And he's proven it's more than a campaign motto.

Crockett, a Republican, is careful with taxpayer dollars, a wise approach as the county faces a shortfall in revenue brought on by the national slide into recession. He has worked to reform the county budgeting procedure to emphasize cost savings and better use of funds to streamline county government.

His four years experience on the council, his background as a principal with an investment fund and his council leadership positions, combined with his innate analytical skills, make him the better choice to represent District 4, which includes Millcreek, Emigration Canyon and much of the east bench.

Crockett's opponent, Democrat Jani Iwamoto, is an attorney with experience on community boards, both here and in San Francisco. She worked on former Gov. Mike Leavitt's commission to keep the Goshute tribe from bringing nuclear waste into Utah, on an appellate nominating committee and serves on the Central Utah Water Conservancy District board.

She has a solid background in community activism but no government experience. Her Japanese American background and her gender would bring more diversity to the County Council. We believe that is important, but not at the expense of Crockett's leadership and knowledge about the ins and outs of county government.

Crockett has been a champion of needed ethics reform on the council and he supports open space preservation. He was among the first to oppose public funding for the Real Salt Lake stadium.

His was the only "no" vote on a motion to launch a countywide unified police authority, a vote he explained as concern for Millcreek residents who, he said, would be treated differently from incorporated cities within the authority. Crockett lives in Holladay, and no council member lives in Millcreek. While we support countywide law enforcement, we respect Crockett's effort to look out for his unincorporated constituents.

Crockett's determination to hold the status quo on taxes is tempered by a realization that economic times might demand an increase for such expenditures as reopening Oxbow Jail. But he would first look for ways to cut spending. Voters should return Crockett to the council.