Farmington Citizens

Here are Carson Howell’s responses to questions he was asked by email:

Q: What is your vision for the commercial growth of west Farmington in particular and other areas of Farmington?
A: I feel that Farmington needs carefully managed growth.  We need some commercial growth in order to sustain the services the city provides and broaden our tax base.  I don’t want to open the flood gates for commercial growth so that we lose the feeling of Farmington which is why I moved here.

Q: With the changes in the economy what will be your approach to residential development in Farmington?
A: I think Farmington should be as careful about residential construction as I plan to be about commercial construction.  I lived in a city where the growth was not managed and among other things, it became a traffic nightmare.  I also don’t want to end up with entire communities sitting empty.

Q: Please state your position on the Legacy North to Legacy Parkway connector?
A: This is an important road to our region.  I have worked with UDOT and have built a good relationship with the executive level staff as well as the executive director.  I have worked on transportation policy and could use that knowledge to discuss with UDOT our concerns about the placement of this highway and how we want to minimize the impact to residents and Farmington as a whole.

Q: What perspective can you give on the recently passed Farmington City Master Transportation Plan? What impacts do you see on west Farmington from the changes in the Transportation Master Plan?
A: I think that the Master Transportation Plan that was passed was a small victory for Farmington.  The City Council voted to place Legacy North as far west and as far south as possible.  Although this was the route that the Council voted on, the alignment hasn’t been set by UDOT and so there is still work to be done.

Q: What changes if any do you want enacted in Farmington and Farmington City government?
A: There are a few immediate changes that I would like to see.  I was surprised that I could not find the city ordinances online.  I don’t understand why, with the technology we have, one should have to go down to City Hall in order to view the ordinances.  I would like to do this in order to make government more transparent and accessible.  Another change that I would like to see is in the realm of representation.  As I’ve campaigned, many people have asked me in what part of Farmington I live.  Why can’t we look at an option to make sure every Farmington resident is represented?  I would like to see the North have a representative, the South have a representative, and the West have a representative.  Two Council seats could still remain at-large so that each person would still vote for a majority of the Council, but you would have a representative on the Council whom you could call with concerns and who would be well versed in the issues of your area.

Q: What Farmington issues are most important to you?
A: Balancing the levels of taxation and spending are important to me.  I would like all residents to feel that they get what they pay for and they don’t pay any more than they have to.  Growth and development are important as well and really impact the finances of the city.

Q: What else do you what said about you on farmingtoncitizens.org?
A: I have experience and training in government finance.  Government is not a business.  Government should never be looking to make a profit from its citizens.  I understand the complexities of government finance and budgeting and will vote to eliminate unnecessary or wasteful spending.