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South Valley Riverton Journal

Running unopposed, Trent Staggs elected to second term as mayor

Dec 01, 2021 02:39PM ● By Justin Adams

By Justin Adams | [email protected]

Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs was elected to a second term this election cycle, after running unopposed. Even in a one-sided race, nearly 5,000 Riverton residents still cast a vote for Staggs, something he doesn’t take for granted.

“That was encouraging to see that, to see people put in their vote of confidence,” Staggs told the Riverton Journal. 

Not only was the mayoral race limited to one candidate, but so were both council races (Tawnee McCay for District 3 and Tish Buroker for District 4). Without a competitive race in the city, Staggs said some people suggested that even sending out ballots this year might have been a waste of time and money. But he disagreed.

“I think the ability to cast one’s ballot is one of the most fundamental duties in our republic. Even in a situation where a race is unopposed, you still allow people to do that,” he said. 

Rather than a sign of civic disengagement, Staggs said he feels the lack of a challenger indicates a seal of approval for his first term in the mayor’s office.

Asked about his accomplishments or highlights from the last four years, Staggs pointed to a few different topics:

  • Economic development: New commercial development like Mountain View Village has helped expand the city’s sales tax base, which has allowed the city to keep property taxes low. 
  • Resident engagement: One of Staggs’ original campaign promises was to prioritize increasing engagement with residents. As part of that effort, the city has revamped its website, created an app, improved its social media presence and started new committees and other opportunities for residents to get involved in their community.
  • Securing state dollars: Working closely with other mayors from nearby cities, Staggs said he has successfully worked with the state legislature to secure crucial funding for infrastructure projects in the southwest valley, such as the improvement projects currently underway along Bangerter Highway. 

Heading into 2022 and a second term, Staggs said he’s looking forward to serving the city four more years. In addition to continuing the efforts listed above, he said he’s excited about efforts to revitalize Riverton’s “old downtown” area, as well as a project to reactivate a dormant well within the city in an effort to expand the water supply.