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American Fork Library - 2023 primary election

David’s 2023 Primary Election Votes — Who and Why

08/28/2023 / David Rodeback

This is the post where I tell you what I think of our current American Fork City Council candidates and how I plan to vote in next Tuesday’s primary election. I get three votes; there are three council seats up for election this year. The primary will narrow the field to six for the general election in late November. The terms are four years, beginning in January.

Please note: If you visit this site for information only and prefer to avoid opinion, as some readers do, you’ll want to avoid this post. If you feel that all of our political discourse should be sweetness and light, you’ll want to avoid this post. But I’ll be as positive as I can.

I know some candidates fairly well, but others I didn’t know at all, except their names, until about a week and a half ago. I got a late start this year, and the best I can do is tell you what I think so far. In some cases information we’ve published here, plus my conversations at last Monday’s candidate open house, constitute all I know.

(Links anchored to candidates names below point to posts with their answers to one or more of my questions. See also John Mulholland’s report of his interviews with most of the candidates.)

Q&A with American Fork City Council Candidate Ken Sumsion

08/27/2023 / David Rodeback

Here is American Fork City Council candidate Ken Sumsion‘s answer to one of the questions I sent to all the candidates, presented here unedited and without comment except for this one. I enjoyed this in his e-mail: “I figure [a] 170 word question should be granted more than 100 word response.”

Painting of casually dressed people at an event, in the style of Renior - AF candidate open house

Open House: Well Done, AF Voters!

08/26/2023 / David Rodeback

Monday evening’s 90-minute, informal city council candidate open house at the American Fork Senior Center was well attended on two counts. All the candidates were there — which doesn’t always happen — and a few dozen voters attended too.

It Was Good

I spent some quality time with each of the candidates except the one I already know best, incumbent Clark Taylor. I asked some of my questions, listened as they answered my questions and others’, and chatted briefly with some voters too — because I’m always eager to hear what other voters are thinking.

I won’t name names here — I will soon — but more than one candidate improved in my view, based on the evening’s conversations. And I enjoyed meeting the candidates I hadn’t met before.

Here’s the crux of this post: Attendance was good. (Well done!) And it wasn’t just numbers. Voters who attended were civil and friendly, asked smart questions, listened to the answers, and in general seemed serious and engaged. (Did I already say “Well done!”?) Quite a few of them were there from the beginning to the end.

Coming Soon at AFelection.info

On Monday I’ll post my thoughts on each candidate by name. I’ll tell you why some get my votes and others don’t — based in part on conversations at the open house, in part on interviews and answers posted here at afelection.net, and in part on prior knowledge of some of the candidates.

In the meantime, here at AFelection.info this week we’ve added one candidate to John Mulholland’s reports of his interviews (now seven of nine), and I’ve posted answers to some or all of my questions by the five candidates who have responded so far. (I’m still hoping for more — and I did send the questions very late.) Here are links to their answers, in the order of their responses:

Thanks for reading. Thanks for learning BEFORE you vote. Thanks to the American Fork Chamber of Commerce for hosting the event, as they so often do. And I keep saying this, but stay tuned.

Image credit: generated by DALL·E with prompt “Renoir painting of casually dressed people standing at a party” (I was feeling whimsical.)

Christina Ballard - American Fork City Council candidate

Q&A with American Fork City Council Candidate Christina Ballard

08/23/2023 / David Rodeback

Here are American Fork City Council candidate Christina Ballard‘s answers to most of the questions I sent to all the candidates. Her answers are presented here unedited and without comment.

Elizabeth Gray - American Fork City Council candidate

Q&A with American Fork City Council Candidate Elizabeth Gray

08/22/2023 / David Rodeback

Here are American Fork City Council candidate Elizabeth Gray‘s answers to the questions I sent to all the candidates. Her answers are presented here unedited and without comment.

Note that not all candidates choose — or have time — to answer all ten questions. If any of them send more answers later, I’ll add them..

Austin Duke - American Fork City Council candidate

Q&A with American Fork City Council Candidate Austin Duke

08/21/2023 / David Rodeback

Here are American Fork City Council candidate Austin Duke‘s answers to the questions I sent to all the candidates. His answers are presented here unedited, except for two surnames added for clarity, and without comment.

Q&A with American Fork City Council Candidate Tim Holley

08/21/2023 / David Rodeback

Tim Holley is one of nine American Fork City Council candidates currently competing for six slots on the general election ballot and then for three available seats on the council. He sent me answers to most of the questions I sent, including the crucial first three. If he has time to answer any of the others later, I’ll update this post.

Meanwhile, here are my questions and his answers, the latter unedited and without comment.

Clark Taylor 2023 - American Fork City Council

Q&A with American Fork City Council Candidate Clark Taylor

08/19/2023 / David Rodeback

Here are incumbent American Fork City Councilman Clark Taylor‘s responses to the ten questions I sent to all the candidates. His responses are unedited and presented without comment.

2023 American Fork City Council Candidate Interviews with John Mulholland

08/17/2023 / John Mulholland

There are nine candidates for American Fork City Council in September’s primary election. The top six will advance to the general election in November, to compete for three available seats. Terms are four years. Here are notes on interviews with the candidates.

Updated August 24, 2023 (one candidate added)

Your Primary Votes Matter — Learn BEFORE You Vote

08/16/2023 / David Rodeback

My primary ballot for the 2023 American Fork municipal election arrived yesterday, and I’m far behind the curve. I only know about half of the American Fork City Council candidates at all, let alone well enough to choose confidently among them when I mark my ballot. I’m sure I’m not the only one.

Ordinarily, I’d have been working at this for the last several weeks and posting much of what I learned here. But I’ve been busy with other things. Good things, enjoyable things — but now the slightly-delayed primary election is upon us.

I finally sent some questions to the candidates this evening — the same questions for all of them (see below), but weeks later than I usually do that. Whatever answers they send (within reason) I will post, and given the timing, I won’t wait to hear from most or all of the candidates before doing so.

Meanwhile, here are some other opportunities to learn about candidates.