Throughout the 2025 general election cycle, Castle Country Radio has met with 23 candidates in races across the Castle Country, ranging from Helper to Green River. Over these meetings, we’ve covered a wide variety of topics including the economy, local business, leadership strategies and public safety. Among all of these events, however, one question has remained consistent: Why should the Residents of the Castle Country vote for you?
The following is a compilation of each candidate’s answers to that simple question. Their answers that appear below may have been edited slightly for length, style or grammar.
Two-year candidates
Lori Barrett:
I think they should vote for me because I have their best interests at heart. I don’t have a personal agenda; I only want to help and make things better. Like I said, I have a long history of problem-solving, and I have good common sense. And like I said, I’m a fixer. And so that’s what I want to do, is get in and help make things better, help make good decisions. And I hope you feel the same way.
Ruth Lee:
I believe that the residents of my community should vote for me because I am young. Like I said before, I bring fresh ideas, new energy and new solutions to our long-standing problems. I represent the next generation who is stepping up to the plate, those people who are starting families and buying houses and starting careers, really getting into what being involved in a community is and how much local government truly plays in their life. So being able to represent them and be a resource for them is big for me, as well as being a resource for the rest of my community. Engaging with my community, empowering my community and educating my community are my top priorities. and I believe I could truly bridge tradition with innovation and bridge generations across our community together.
Bob Olson:
The best reason is that I care deeply about Helper. This is my home. I always plan on living here. I lived down in Phoenix for over 20 years. I learned a lot from living in the city – good and bad – but I love living here. I’ve been back since 2012, so about 13 years. It’s the longest I’ve ever lived in one place in my life. My mom was an army brat, and my dad was also in the army, and they liked to move us around quite a bit. So, I lived in four different states by the time I was five years old. It seems like we always moved every couple of years, and I had to uproot and make new friends. Well, I don’t have to do that anymore. I’m here permanently, and I’ve decided to always live here because it’s a wonderful place to live. So, I care deeply about our city of Helper. I enjoy working on the city council. It is not always easy. It is work. I rely a lot on the other council members and the mayor for their advice and their expertise. And I think I’m able to kind of see through issues a certain way because, in going to law school, you learn how to separate out the issue, figure out what the rule is, apply the law, and make a conclusion. That’s what you do. So that’s how I was trained to look at issues is to hash them out and then come up with a conclusion.
When the police came before the city council and also the other departments in the city and needed raises, we talked about it, and it was a hard thing to do, but I proposed the 25% raise for the police, which I think a lot of people fell off their chairs when I did that, but I believed in it. Now, we didn’t get 25%, but we did get a pretty good raise for the police and the other departments as well. And see, that’s kind of the balancing act that you need, it’s a hard thing to do. It’s hard to come up with the money to do those things. And I’ve had a couple of years of practice at it. So, that’s why I think I would be a good person to vote for.”
Four-year candidates
Dave Dornan:
I’m excited about the town. I think it is in a great position to move forward. I believe since we’re replacing the water lines coming down, Blackhawk has approached us. We don’t know if we have the water for the homes, but we’re getting very close due to money that we have gotten to remake the pipes. We were losing half our water through pipes leaking from above. We have a great water source, and it was leaking. So, we had to replace pipes and that’s one of the hardest jobs we have. I’m very excited to see that continue. And I would like to see Blackhawk come in. Their plan is to eventually ask us to annex property over there. Well, that means more taxes. That means your sidewalks are going to be better.
And in my final thing, I would like to say to people who say downtown is everything: a vibrant downtown is critical for any community to grow, because outsiders come in, see Helper Vibes, and move here. I’ve seen that happen many times. People who can live everywhere and say, ‘You know what, let’s buy a place here.’ And so they end up buying something literally sometimes the next day and they live here and they love it. And I’m enthusiastic about that. And I see that as a future. And I see people who are on the city council and our mayor, our mayor doing a job that gets $300 a month. That’s a job of a city manager. We’re lucky. And I want to say this, that we’re lucky. I want to work with this mayor because she’s getting $300 a month for what a city manager does. And if we look at Green River, it’s a town about our size; somewhere in there, they have a city manager, and those salaries often range from $40,000 to $80,000. I’m glad we don’t have to face that because we have people in positions of enthusiasm in this town and I want to see it continue.
Things are good in Helper. I’m here to say, man, we can keep it going. Keep the momentum is my message to this city. So I would like to take part in that. If I’m not elected, I’ll still be involved, but I want to help make the decisions and usher them forward.
David Palacios
First, I’m from here. I grew up here. I know this place. I have family here. I had a grandfather who was killed in the coal mines here. So I have a lot of passion for Helper. And since I’ve been a council person, that passion has grown tenfold. And it just makes me want to have the best for our city.
I will strongly support our city council and our mayor. I especially like to support our public safety guys, our police officers who are here tonight and grateful for that. I’m a firm believer in public safety. I have a lot of experience there. Our fire department’s the same. I also want you to know the things that we’re working on right now. Our transportation plan, we’re looking at a skate park, we’ve got so many things, our electrical grid, and like David (Dornan) mentioned, our water line. That’s going to be huge. It’s kind of cool here because we’re first users of our water, and that’s wonderful in my mind. I’ve been to places where it’s not, and it’s not so good.
Helper is the crown jewel, and I’d like to see it stay the crown jewel. I’d like people to vote for me because, like I said, I have the passion to do this. I have a small part-time job that I can come and go as I please. It’s just to give me something to do when the council doesn’t have anything for me to do, which is seldom nowadays. As I close, I just want to say that the citizens of Helper have some great candidate choices for city council. Take a look at everyone. I do hope you’ll vote for me. I’d like to do this again. But again, I think it’s a great lineup that we have, and I wish luck to all of them, and I’d be happy to work with any of them in the future. I’d like your vote. I’m here to stay and I love this town.”
Tyson Damron
Editor’s note: Damron was unable to attend meet the candidates due to prior work obligations. His remarks are taken from a letter provided to the Carbon County Chamber of Commerce for its Meet the Candidates event.
I make one promise, I will work tirelessly to be a voice for the public’s wants and needs in our city and to always be available for conversation if you have concerns.
Lenise Peterman:
Last night, a good friend said something to me that really resonated, and that is we all stand on the shoulders of those elected officials who came before us. I stand today on the shoulders of Joe Bonacci, Mike Delpaiz, Dean Armstrong and Ed Chavez. My hope is that four years from now, the next mayor will stand on mine. I am just a small building block of many who came before and the many who will come after.
I would ask for your vote so I can focus on the issues that we’ve discussed tonight. Road improvements, water and electrical infrastructure, affordable housing, Mountain View Cemetery expansion, maturing the USU Eastern baseball and softball partnership. Efforts of this nature require an innovative funding approach, an innovative thinking approach, and a combination of blood, sweat, and tears, grants, appropriations, donations, and careful budgeting. I simply want to finish much of the good work that we have accomplished.
I do what I do not for the paycheck, not for the credit, but for the deep respect and love I have for this community. I do what I do so our kids have a fighting chance to earn a living wage and to serve as an example of service for them. It’s about giving back so others can thrive. I have appreciated your support in the past, and I’m asking for your support today. I hope you can judge me by my actions, my words and my record. I think that tells you who I am, and I hope you will cast your vote for me in this election cycle.
Kathy Fausett:
I hope the residents of Helper will vote for me because I am a true believer in term limits. I think nothing good comes when everything stays as it is. I think sometimes unhealthy alliances are made and other things are set to the side. I think there are a lot of people in Helper who are just really frustrated with feeling like everything’s for Main Street and nothing is for the back street. I would hope to work with all the citizens and bring more things to the city council, more concerns. I would really encourage everybody to attend the city council meetings. That’s where decisions are made. And if you want to have a say, that’s the time for you to stand up and say, “Well, wait a minute. I think we need to consider this.” I think we have some really good people running for city council. I think going forward for the next four years, we can really make some changes that will benefit the entire town in addition to Main Street. So, I would just ask for your support and know that Helper is my heart. I’m not going anywhere. I don’t have any other commitments. I will really have your back.
Tonya Bigelow:
I hope that I am and people look at me as an ear that will listen and I will represent them. If I don’t have the answers, I will go find out. I’ve tried to do that just in the last few months with this election. I feel like I have a good pulse for all areas of Green River, having lived here all my life. I care about our history, our present and our future. And I want it to continue to be a great place. I’m proud to be a Green Riverite. And I would just hope that I could represent, and I will do my best to represent those citizens, whether they vote for me or against me, because I care about everybody and all aspects.
Bottom line, I love Green River and I care about Green River. I care about where we’re going. Every decision that we make, where is it going to lead? That’s what we’ve got to look to. What precedents are we setting for fairness and equality for everyone? And I can’t say enough how much I love Green River.
Stephanie Crabtree:
I can’t claim the Green Riverite like everybody up here for the length of time they’ve been here. But I think in the time I have been here, my involvement in things has really diversified. The people I’ve spoken with, the groups I’ve been with, came here working on housing development, got to know a lot of the contractors and have created many kinds of relationships to be able to talk to them about things that are going on.
Being on the fire department, and being on planning and zoning, I think one of the most important things I learned when moving here is to go to the gas station and get coffee at 6:30 a.m. Those are some of the best conversations with the workers who are up early in the morning. And that was where I really found this turning point of gaining respect in town, going there and just showing that grind and having those conversations early in the morning. So, I think just my involvement and things in the relationships I’ve made with people in town.
Larry Packer:
I’ve been on the council for six years. I’ve got some experience. I know that there are a lot of issues that need to be resolved, and we’re working on them, and I’d like to continue that. Because of that experience, maybe I could continue to do those things that the citizens want. I get cornered in the grocery store, the hardware store, even on the street sometimes people will stop me. I’ve been flagged down while driving my car around, and that’s great. I’m willing to listen and don’t be shy about approaching me because I am willing to listen and I will take it to the mayor and the city council and make sure that those questions get answered.
Conra Webber:
The citizens of Green River should vote for me because I have their best interests at heart. I’ve always said that when I moved back to Green River, I’m going to get involved. I’m going to serve and the reason I am is because the citizens of Green River helped me be successful as a professional. We are looking, as Stephanie (Crabtree) said, it’d be great to have a leader for EMT. I am that leader. I speak health care. I understand emergency medicine. I understand rural health care. I have worked at Castleview Hospital. I actually helped open Castleview Hospital. I’ve worked at St. Mary’s Hospital. I’ve worked at major hospitals across the nation. But nothing compares to being able to look at your community, know what they need, and know that you can be of service. And I can be of service in that area.
I am open-minded. I am respectful. I am approachable. I am honest and honorable. I am a vault. If you tell me something, I will never repeat it. That’s just who I am and the profession that I’m in. So, the reason you should vote for me is that I believe that I can make a difference, and I will strive to do everything I can to make a difference for this community. But where I know I can make a difference is with your health care, including the clinic, including the global health care in Green River as well as the surrounding areas. That’s my area of expertise. You are the citizens that help me be able to accomplish, and it’s my turn to give back to you, and that’s what I will do.
Gen Guerrero- Write-in candidate
Needless to say, I have a lot of good ideas I’d like to implement. I think the city’s ready for a big change. There’s a complete lack of business growth in this city. It’s been going on for decades. We need to fix that and change it. We need to improve on it. My three priorities are water storage, business growth, and low-cost housing. Those are just the highest priorities, but there’s a whole plethora of priorities below that. Some of the other things I want to implement are a metering device at the reservoir to measure the acre-feet. We need to know how much water we’re using on a weekly, monthly and annual basis. Right now, we have no clue because there’s no device measuring acre feet. We need to get a meter.
I’d like to implement a city revitalization committee composed of citizens and business owners, an ethics committee, a utilities committee and a municipal code ordinance committee. I would also like to measure the amount of tax revenue businesses bring in. We need to know that. And I’d like to have an annual emergency response plan update review meeting. The citizens need to be involved in our emergency response plan, and that includes all manners of natural or human-made disasters. I found out during my candidacy that there’s an air horn downtown East Carbon. I never knew about it. It goes back to the Cold War. I mean, that’s something that everybody needs to know about. I didn’t know about it.
The reason I want the voters to vote for me is that I know I can implement all these changes. I know I can make a good pitch to the public and to the city council and I know with the high level of detail and my professionalism that I can bring to the table, I can get things done. My experience and my certifications as a water treatment and water distribution operator are an added bonus because I know what I’m talking about in that regard. So I ask for the vote of the citizens. Give me a try. I think I can do a lot better than my competitors.
Carolyn Abeyta:
I will work together with the council to go after grants and do whatever it takes to accomplish the goals for our water situation and our economic development. I will also investigate the possibility of acquiring the power plants’ infrastructure and water if they unfortunately close. They have water pipes from the canyon to the power plant and then pipes to Big Springs Ranch. We need to make sure we have the first right of refusal for these water rights. Water is so important. East Carbon needs economic growth. We have, like I said before, a large industrial park. We have a railroad spur here, and we need to address our water situation so we can accomplish all of this growth.
We have ordinances in place, and I’ll work with the police department to enforce them to address the nuisances in our town. I will make sure that we have a judge and an attorney who will help the police department enforce our ordinances.
And another thing that we haven’t brought up this evening is our children. Our community deserves to have more activities. I would like to see our East Carbon Rec join with the Carbon County Rec, the Elks Club and other resources in Carbon County to have more activities for our youth with the help of the community. We just got the new disc golf course at Viking Park. Yeah. Things like that are so important for our community and for our children so they have something to do and not to get headed the wrong way.
I’ll work with the council, the office staff, the maintenance crew, the police department, the accountant, the judge and the attorney to keep this city running at full speed. I will work with ECDC and co-gen so we can all succeed together. As we all know, the drug problem here is huge, and I will work with the police department to join forces with Carbon County Drug Task Force. This is another problem that a capable judge and attorney would need to help with our police force to help with our police force to accomplish that. If elected, I plan to be transparent and let the community know what issues we are working on and where we stand with the budget. I promise I will do my very best to make a difference.
Nyesha Kauvaka:
I don’t have experience in a water plant. I don’t have years of experience in running a business. But I do have over 40 years of life experiences that make me relatable to my community here in East Carbon. My passion is to help others. My effort that I put in to be a part of this community is what qualifies me. I show up to events, I volunteer my time, and I support and make purchases from all our small businesses here in town.
My kids volunteered their time for the new disc golf course that they just put up. My kids are active in this town. Can we use more activities? Sure. Especially for the kids 13 and older. But there are sports here all year long. Britney Medina makes sure that we are steady having basketball, soccer and wrestling. Like I said, I don’t have any special interests. I don’t have any conflict of interest. I don’t have a family member in city hall. I don’t have a best friend who works there. My interest is solely in the future of this town that my kids are going to be raised in. I hope they can come back to this town.
I work here at the credit union. I’ve been able to grow here. The credit union has taught me about finances, loans and budgeting. I’ve become a real estate agent and a life insurance agent here in East Carbon. I know the potential here. I’ve become a homeowner here in East Carbon. And overall, I have been able to grow here in East Carbon. So, I’m grateful God led me here and my family here to East Carbon and I’m blessed to call East Carbon home.
Mackenzie Burnett-Write-in candidate
I think the community should vote for me because I have every single one of our citizens at the forefront of my mind all the time. If we do this on planning and zoning, how is it going to affect this singular person? What is it going to do to the city? All of these things are continuously running through my mind. Working on the ambulance is the same thing. We take somebody to the hospital. Is this person OK? They are part of our community. Are they going to be OK?
We are a very low-income city, one of the lowest in the state. I know what it’s like to live like that. I know what it’s like to live in a one-parent household. I know what it’s like to have to scrape by for bills. I am the one who would be there for our community. We are getting more resources to our food pantry that is run by a local citizen. I was proactive in starting to take leadership courses right when I signed up for this. I’m part of the Eastern Leadership Academy program through USU Eastern. I am able to go and meet all these amazing people who are teaching me how to be an even better leader in our community. From our city to the county all the way up to our state government, all of these are resources that I have that I can bring back to help our city, our infrastructure, the water, everything. A vote for me is really a vote for the success of our city at this point.
Richard Root:
I feel the people of Price should vote for me because I care about this city. I care about the people who live in this city. I want to see this city thrive. I want to see the people, I want to see the downtown area get back to what it was when I moved down here. I want to see people be able to not lock their car doors. I tell people that every day when people ask me, “Why didn’t you move from Price? Why didn’t you go to St. George? Why didn’t you go to Mesquite?” Because I feel for this city, the people in this city, the ethnicities of this city and the things that happen here. That’s why people should vote for me. I’m passionate about Price City. I want to make it thrive.
I want to make sure that the city is run the way the people would like it to be run, and I want to make sure that the people understand that there are certain things that the city can do and can’t do, and certain moneys that can go in certain places and not other places. That’s why I think town hall meetings are important. I think people need to get a better understanding of how the budget works. What can be moved from this money can’t be spent here to pave this road when we’re doing over this and we’re replacing this culvert. I think we need people to write grants. I’m not a grant writer. I’ve never written one, but I think that what this city really needs is someone who is good at writing grants. I think that’s why Helper has prospered in a way because I think Lenise (Peterman) is very good at it. And in all honesty, I wouldn’t have a problem with going and asking her to help me write grants for this city.
I will also tell you that if I don’t get elected, I’m not going anywhere. I’ll probably be the biggest thorn in these two sides they’ve ever seen. So that’s why I feel that you should vote for me. I’m proud of this city. I’m proud of everything that comes out of Price, Utah. I’m proud to be a citizen of Price, Utah, and I just want to make it better and safer for everyone.
Tina Urbanik
I’m not running to be a politician. I am running to be a voice for the people of Price. My promise is to lead with honesty, integrity, and respect. I’ll ask the hard questions, seek real solutions, and keep residents informed every step of the way, as allowed by law.
I believe in teamwork, accountability, and communication. I am running because I care deeply about the community. Our roots run really deep here. I’ve only lived here 35 years in Carbon County, but my husband’s family were pioneers. Andy’s family is out on that mural here in the city hall. Their cabin sits on top of Pioneer Park. We have deep roots here. We have family here. We have my children, my grandchildren. I want to see your children, your grandchildren be able to thrive, but also have a place to come home to, not to visit, not to be a you know a threw farer, not to just come on holidays, but to want to live here.
So we need to help Price grow and strengthen Price City. Personally, I will listen, I will learn, and I will grow with you and I will help you to trust your city leaders. Right now, there seems to be some disconnect there. There seems to be a lack of trust, and no matter if it’s this person, that person, blame doesn’t matter, but it’s there, and here we are. So it is my goal to help improve the morale and to be able to communicate with people effectively, respectfully and help them feel welcome coming to me at any time.
Travis Richardson
My dedication to this city is the same as Tina (Urbanik) and Richard (Root) have both said. I’m not going anywhere. My family is rooted here. We have been for many years. And I have two young kids, like I’ve mentioned, and I’ve searched for a career to bring me back here. I had to move up to Utah County for 10 years due to the workforce. I couldn’t find a job that I wanted to do. And fortunately, I was able to come back, and this is my desire, to make Price greater than it already is. I’m the person who can reason with you. I’m a listener. I’ll sit back and analyze. I’ll keep my mouth shut for quite a while until I feel like I need to say something. And once I say something, hopefully I don’t regret anything I say.
I know I can work well with either of these candidates, and like Richard has said, and I’ll echo it, if I don’t get voted in, I’ll just be here in the community. I’ll be down on Main Street trying to help it get better, and I want it to flourish. I want to be your voice as people. I want you to know that I will listen to you any time of the day. And I will fight for what you have concerns. I hope that people can understand that, yeah, I’m young, but I feel that I’m mature in my mind. So, I would hope that you can consider that.
Mike Kourianos:
If you want a mayor who will work hard, stand up for his community and get things done, not just sit behind the desk, then I’m your person. The future of Price depends on a strong infrastructure, electrical grid and sustainable water. I’m committed to making sure we are prepared for the next generation.
I believe in being out front, boots on the ground, working side by side with our residents, our businesses and our partners to ensure our voice is heard and our needs are met. I’m not here to simply agree with what others introduce. I’m here to lead, to fight for our community, and to make sure Price is strong, resilient and thriving for the years to come.
Terry Willis:
Price City’s mayor is our top executive, and with that, I’m in charge of managing the city departments and the daily day-to-day operations. The council is in charge of making the policies and procedures, and I am in charge of following those. And if you elect me as mayor, I will be that person. I will make sure that I am the person who is following those directions that our city council has listened to you and moved forward with. I’m a hands-on person. I’m on about every board or have been on every board that’s within this city, and so I’m involved in the community in a way that is just right down to the ground where I know the problems and the issues beyond just what those people that want to call in and give us their problems. But they’re important, too.
Every single person in our community is important. From the top executives at the hospital and our businesses and our community, down to the very smallest person that we have in the person struggling to make ends meet day-to-day, that person is just as important. And I plan on serving each and every one of those people to the best of my ability. And I hope to make Price a better place because of it.
Ed Chavez:
I feel that I can bring a fresh face to the situation. I don’t have any political background. I have been a leader for many years, and I want to lead this community. I want to become someone whom the community can look to and know that they’ve got somebody who’s representing them.
I hope people see that I can bring something to this community. I’ve been a part of this community all my life, and I hope to be there for the people when they need to be heard, when they need to be their voices listened to. I want to be there for the safety of the community, make sure the community is being protected the best way that it can be.
Jack Clark:
Because I care about Wellington, I want to get things done. We have some good traction going. We’ve been working hard. We’ve got momentum on our side. We’ve got some good ideas, some good projects. Over the past years, we’ve made some real progress. I’ve proven I’ll do the work, and I want to keep the momentum going. I’m not afraid to do hard things. What we just went through was a very hard thing. I don’t care to do it again. So, I’m pushing forward so we don’t have to, but we’re going to implement that plan where the council will view that and look over that so we don’t have a huge tax raise in the future. I show up, I listen, I follow through and I love Wellington. And I’m committed to the people here.
I was born and raised here. I built a home, a company and a business. And it’s all through this area. I’ve got friends and family everywhere I look. And I consider my neighbors just as close. You know, even when it snows, I take time to go plow out my neighbor’s property. I think that’s that the service is where it’s at. I’m here to serve and work in the community. That’s why you should vote for me.