Price City Council has new member

By Rick Sherman
Sun Advocate Reporter

The Price City Council picked Leif Nelson to fill the council seat vacated by Wayne Clausing, who resigned to move out of town. Nelson was selected from a field of five applicants during the regular city council meeting of July 12. He was sworn in by City Recorder Sherrie Gordon on Thursday.
The other candidates were David Black, Joe Christman, Amy Knott-Jespersen and Jesse Sloan. During the 45-minute process, the candidates presented opening remarks and then responded to questions posed by each member of the council and the mayor. The format is mandated by Utah Code.
Mayor Joe Piccolo noted that he could only vote in the event of a tie, as the council members cast secret ballots after the first round of questioning. Black and Nelson emerged as the two finalists, and were asked to discuss what they would like to accomplish on the council and make final remarks.
Nelson stated he had a long list of things he would like to do, including outreach to neighborhoods, and improving relationships with other governments in the area. “I think if I had to put one thing at the very top, it would be to sit down with Lisa (Richens, City Finance Director), and look over the budget,” he concluded.
He was appointed to the council on a 3-1 vote, with council member Rick Davis opposed.
Nelson and three of the other applicants, Christman, Knott-Jesperson and Sloan, have also filed for the council seat now held by Terry Willis. Nelson said he will withdraw from that race after being appointed to the seat previously held by Wayne Clausing.
Willis is also seeking outright election. She was appointed to fill the four-year term of Miles Nelson when he took the helm as Public Works Director in 2015. Leif Nelson is the older brother of Miles, and another brother, Sidney, works in the maintenance department at the Carbon School District.
In an interview with the Sun Advocate, Leif said the family moved to Price in 1978 and has also lived in Taylorsville. “We’ve been back and forth,” he related. Nelson said he graduated from CEU in 1983, and graduated from the University of Utah in business in 1985. Locally, he has held the position of CFO at Electrical Contractors.
The new council member said in addition to using his experience to help with budgeting, he also plans to focus on economic development and bringing new business in. He said, “I think my background in business and my relationship with industry and ability to work with people gives me the strength to help attract the kind of business that can help build the community back.”
Nelson has never held public office, but has always been active in politics serving as a precinct chairman and legislative district chairman. He asserted, “I think if we aren’t active in politics, we can’t expect to move in a positive direction. We can’t just let everybody else do it. We are the people. We need to do it. Lets do it!”