Heber City Council candidate Morgan Murdock was knocking on doors until an hour before the voting deadline on election night. It’s the primary tactic he’d used throughout his campaign, exposing him to diverse perspectives and creating connections that might not have otherwise existed.
In his conversations with Heber City residents, Murdock heard plenty about traffic, housing and development. But even after winning a seat on the City Council, he’s struck by how much there is left to learn.
In Murdock’s own words, he’s “motivated to do (his) homework” — a fitting comment from a former teacher and administrator.
He believes his experiences in education — brainstorming effective solutions to academic or behavioral concerns, fostering a positive culture in the classroom and ensuring fairness in teaching students with disabilities — will transfer positively to city governance.
A fluent Spanish speaker, Murdock used the language daily throughout his career in education after picking it up as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Quito, Ecuador.
Now, as a newly elected city councilor, Murdock hopes to bridge the gap between city governance and the Latino community. He has a few ideas about how that might be accomplished, including co-sponsoring cultural events and increasing the presence of Spanish interpreters in city council meetings.
A cornerstone of Murdock’s campaign has been “responsible growth” that ensures infrastructure keeps pace with development.
That’s a goal shared by incumbent Yvonne Barney, who won her bid for a second term.
Barney moved to Heber City in 1985 and has witnessed soaring costs of housing firsthand. One family member lives in the basement of their friend’s house. Another family member with three children was the victim of mortgage fraud and has been forced to move into a $2,700 per month, three-bedroom condo.
For Barney, responsible growth begins with protecting private property rights and limiting high-density developments. She wants developers to prove that they’re building with the needs of the community in mind, not just to make a buck.
On the campaign trail and in the council, Barney aims to be forthright.
“I noticed that on the campaign trail, there were some things sometimes where I would just, not in a flippant way, but say things, and then afterwards, citizens would come up to me and say, ‘Boy, you just put that out there, didn’t you?’” she said. “On the campaign trail, it is so easy to get caught up in the rhetoric. … We get stuck in trying to show a different face to our citizens.”
Despite her bluntness, Barney has also been characterized as a compassionate, calming presence on the City Council. In fact, during the final debate of the election, mayoral candidate Scott Phillips shared that he was learning to be more empathetic by following Barney’s example.
Although she’s not one to gloat, Barney said that she expects of herself “a certain decorum” as a public official. After all, childish bickering only distracts the council from what they were elected to do.
“What we say as elected officials, and how we treat our citizens — and not just our citizens, but one another on the campaign trail — really, really matters,” she said. “I always say that to my kids: ‘When you start having kids, remember who you are and set a good example for your kids because they’re watching you.’ … Our citizens are watching us. They expect responsibility, and they also expect us to show a little respect towards each other, and above all, them.”