Paul Hunt newest member of Midvale City Council

After a close race that came down to 38 votes, Paul Hunt was elected in November to be the new representative for Midvale City’s Council District 3.

The seat for District 3 opened up when Brent Moore decided not to run again after serving two terms on the council. “I felt like I’ve had my turn and that it was time to give someone else a chance,” Moore said.  Moore will continue his involvement by serving on the board of trustees for the Midvalley Improvement District.

The race between Hunt and Anderson brought the media to Midvale’s doorstep because of Hunt’s legal history. Hunt pled guilty in early 2011 to a misdemeanor charge of wrongful allocation after being accused of charging $31,000 in personal expenses on a company credit card in 2008.

Because of this legal history, not all residents are pleased with Hunt’s election. “It’s very disappointing. We have to have him on this council knowing what he’s done,” Midvale resident Roger Robinson said.  “It’s just not right.”

Hunt claims the media made the issue out to be worse than it really was. “There was a real disagreement about the company finances and both sides had valid points. I put myself in a gray area and I opened myself up for judgments and that was really stupid on my part. After years of fighting, I settled on a solution that neither side seemed very happy about,” Hunt said. “I am deeply sorry for any embarrassment this situation may have caused anyone. I take responsibility and will keep my obligation to the court to pay restitution.”

Hunt has lived in Midvale for 12 years and decided to run for the council after being encouraged to do so by neighbors and friends. “Over the years, I have seen Midvale work hard to become a place more families and businesses call home. I want to help Midvale continue to grow and improve,” Hunt said. “I’m humbled and very grateful for the support people have given me. I look forward to the next four years.”

Hunt and his wife have been involved in both the CERT program and the Neighborhood Watch program for years. He joined the Midvale Planning Commission over three years ago, and has been the chairman for the last two years. During that time, the commission helped direct the development of the city’s 446-acre Bingham Junction area, approving commercial building sites that helped attract businesses such as WinCo and FLSmidth.

Hunt’s opponent, Alan Anderson, faced some opposition from residents for being openly gay. “Focusing on that does Alan a tremendous disservice,” Hunt said.  “His sexual orientation has no basis on his ability to hold public office.”                                     

In other city council news, city councilmember Wayne Sharp accepted a plea deal down to misdemeanor charges and paid restitution to settle his legal battles after being charged with felonies in 2011 for breaking into his neighbor’s garage and stealing industrial equipment. “I accepted the plea deal because I didn’t want to keep dragging the case out through the court system,” Sharp said. “I made a stupid mistake. I hope that by staying on the council, I can regain everyone’s trust that I used to have.”

Current council members Robert Hale and Paul Glover were up for reelection, and both ran unopposed in their districts. This will be Hale’s second four year term and Glover’s third term on the council.