Council likely to challenge Godfrey more

Council likely to challenge Godfrey more
By John Wright
Standard-Examiner staff
jwright@standard.net
November 9, 2005

OGDEN -- In what one candidate called "a clean sweep," four critics of controversial economic development projects proposed by Mayor Matthew Godfrey won City Council races Tuesday.

In the race for At-Large Seat A, challenger Bill Glasmann defeated incumbent Kent Jorgenson, 3,751 votes to 2,941. For At-Large Seat B, challenger Dorrene Jeske defeated incumbent Donna Burdett, 3,786 votes to 2,906.

In Municipal Ward 1, incumbent Jesse Garcia won a fourth term, defeating challenger Dori Mosher 499 votes to 346. In municipal Ward 3, where incumbent Fasi Filiaga did not seek re-election, Doug Stephens defeated Steve Larsen 1,001 votes to 701.

Glasmann, Jeske, Garcia and Stephens have all said they are opposed to the downtown Wal-Mart Supercenter project, in which the city threatened to condemn the property of those who refused to sell.

I think a new direction was needed, and we'll bring a new direction," said Glasmann, a political newcomer. "It was pretty much a clean sweep.

Even the losers said the message was clear.

"I do think people want a change," said Burdett, who was appointed to the council on 2004 after serving nine years on the Planning Commission. Maybe it was a referendum against the mayor and his plans."

Jorgenson, who was seeking his second term, said he feels both Godfrey's administration and the City Council have failed to successfully communicate their message.

"I didn't feel that the opponents had a lot of meat in their platform," he said. "They were just saying they thought we were moving in the wrong direction."

Larsen said the results showed that people are more concerned about today than the future.

"My ideas were pretty much rejected tonight," he said.

Stephens, who lost to Filiaga in 1997, said he was not surprised by the results. Not so for Jeske, a former school board member.

"I'm surprised I even won at all," she said. "It just blows me away."

Garcia, who won his fourth term, said it will be his last. Mosher declined comment.

Voter turnout was 6,976, or 19 percent, of 36,288 registered voters in the city.