Early election results on Tuesday night showed Tawny Knuteson-Boyd has been re-elected to the Moab City Council, and Kaitlin Myers and Colin Topper have been newly elected. Council members Rani Derasary and Kalen Jones did not seek re-election after finishing their second terms.
The newly elected members will serve a four year term, and will join council members Luke Wojciechowski and Jason Taylor, who were elected in 2021. Five people ran for the three seats: Knuteson-Boyd, Myers, Topper, Brad Woodford, and Patrick Robbins.
As of election night, the most votes were cast for Topper with 935, then Myers with 928, Knuteson-Boyd with 677, Robbins with 597, and Woodford with 511.
“Thank you Moab! I am so excited to serve the next four years on Moab City Council,” Myers wrote in an Instagram post. “I look forward to working with you, my community, to lead Moab today and tomorrow, together.”
On Facebook, Topper said: “Thank you Moab for believing in me! Can’t wait to get to work.”
Council members in Moab have powers like overseeing master plans, which determine actions taken by city departments; approving the city’s budget; and approving city ordinances.
In the past few years, Moab’s city council has approved policies including a workforce housing ordinance, which essentially requires new developments to set aside a percentage of units to house local workers; funding the Moab Area Transit; and a water-efficient landscaping code amendment. The new council will hold a strategic planning session sometime in January, which will help them determine which issues to focus on: you can explore the city’s strategic plan, and how it plans to reach its goals, online at the City of Moab’s website.
In our Election Guide, published at the end of October, each candidate outlined three steps they would take in the next year to put the city on a firm footing for the future. Here’s what the three elected candidates said:
Tawny Knuteson-Boyd said she would prioritize supporting current staff and administration within the city following recent staff turnover. Second, she said she would also “look at our capital improvements list and ask solid questions about our priorities and what is most urgent and what, if anything, can be put on hold.” Third, she said the city’s sustainability master plan and new landscaping ordinances put the city on the right track for conserving water: she wants to continue that work, and said “we need more trees and plants that help cool our city for us and future Moabites.”
“I try to make sure I remember the path that brought me to where I am,” Knuteson-Boyd said. “I have decades of life to draw upon, which has made me a little more patient and a little more understanding that not everyone is in the same place in their lives. Being kind, being compassionate, being available, and being willing to listen and learn are more important than being right.”
Kaitlin Myers said she is “excited about creating a long-range financial plan and really engaging with the public through that process.” She also wants to work with the Council, Planning Commission, and city staff to update the Moab Municipal Code, a project that’s been in the works. Third, she said, she plans to lead the Council in implementing the Moab Area Affordable Housing Plan, a plan put together by the Moab Area Task Force.
“I want to be a leader in building the future of Moab for my peers, my neighbors, and myself,” Myers said, “because this is the Moab that I hope to have a family and grow old in.”
Colin Topper said first, he wants to “continue to look for innovative solutions to our housing crisis.” He also mentioned water conservation, like Knuteson-Boyd, and said that he will ensure water is considered in all new developments and in future policy. Third, he said, he will “work to be sure that Moab’s downtown receives the immediate upkeep and maintenance to keep it safe and inviting.”
“I want to help Moab realize these essential elements of a healthy, livable community so that we may continue to shift more fully towards economic growth and diversification, civic engagement, and an increased investment in building lives and families in our desert community,” Topper said.
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