Just shy of four years ago on November 9th, 2005, the Deseret News announced, “West Jordan voters narrowly opt for Newton for as their new mayor.” Our city’s current mayor, David Newton, had won by a mere 264 votes. The article quotes Mayor Newton saying,

I’m going to work hard to make sure I represent them in a manner that would be what they expect.

I am one who believes Mayor Newton has done a fine job on both counts; he has worked hard on behalf of the citizenry and he has performed satisfactorily. And now that the 2009 election season is fast approaching, Mayor Newton has quietly announced his intention to not run for re-election. At the same time, City Council Member Melissa Johnson has announced her intention of running for the mayoral seat. On Yahoo’s WJResident board, she stated on April 24th,

I will be running for Mayor in the coming election. I made the decision to change office because there are several things I would like to effect on a County and State level. As you probably know, the Mayor and Council members have the same vote on all City issues, but the Mayor can represent the City to the County and State governments. I think we need a strong voice in support of West Jordan, especially concerning our roads and schools.

As a resident of West Jordan, I can confirm Melissa’s commitment, zeal, and sense of direction. She is the right person as West Jordan’s mayor and has my vote!