2025 Candidate Questions

Media Questions by Publication

2025 Candidate Questions

In 2025, EM residents Chris Matern and Scott Morris, asked each candidate to answer five questions to get a better feel where each candidate stands on the issues facing Eagle Mountain. Here are Melissa's answers:

Balancing Fiscal Responsibility and Resident Needs

How would you handle citizen concerns when balancing growth with fiscal responsibility?

Hearing and addressing citizen concerns and managing growth responsibly should go hand in hand — not be seen as opposites. I believe we can do both better by focusing on three key things: accessibility, accountability, and smart data.

1. Make it easy to be heard.

People need multiple ways to share concerns — whether that’s through the resident portal, email, social media, a phone call, or even anonymously. Every concern, no matter how it comes in, should be logged into a central system and assigned to the right department. And here’s the important part: not every concern will result in immediate change, but every concern should get a respectful and informed response. Even if it’s just adding context around a cost or explaining why a process works the way it does.

2. Track concerns and watch for trends.

This is huge. One thing I’ve learned from years in business is that data matters. We should be looking at what concerns come up most — whether it's a park that needs upgrades, water pressure in a neighborhood, or one department being stretched too thin. When we track that data over time, we start to see patterns. And when we make decisions based on patterns — not just reactions — we save money, time, and improve outcomes.

3. Follow up and foster innovation.

As mayor, I will build a culture where department heads and team leads follow up on concerns, recognize great work, and ask their teams how we can be better. That creates ownership and pride. It also opens the door to staff-led ideas that improve efficiency and save money. Empowering the people closest to the problems leads to smarter, faster solutions — and that’s good for residents and our budget.

When it comes to balancing growth with fiscal responsibility, it’s about being open, data-driven, and always looking for ways to improve. Yes, we already have a public budget process — but we can do more to help residents understand where their money goes, and how hard our staff works to stretch every dollar. We could break the budget down in simple ways throughout the year so it’s easier to see not just the numbers, but the real savings and planning behind the scenes.

I’ll say it over and over: we have an incredible team working hard for Eagle Mountain. Our residents deserve to see and celebrate the smart, thoughtful work being done on their behalf. And as mayor, I’ll make sure you get to see just that.

Water & Sustainability

What would you do to encourage sustainable water use in new developments and existing homes?

Let’s be honest — without water, we cease to exist. If we as a city can’t get the basics right — like water, sewer, roads, and public safety — then we need to step aside and let someone else lead. These foundational services are my top priority, and water has always been something I care deeply about.

Maybe it’s because I’m naturally frugal. Maybe it’s because I love this city and the people in it. But more than anything, I was raised to believe that stewardship matters — of water, people, animals, and the land. That mindset guides everything I do.

So how do we encourage sustainable water use in a fast-growing city like Eagle Mountain?

We lead by example.

We start with city-owned properties — transitioning to localscapes and water-wise landscaping as funding allows. We work with developers to do the same in new model homes and parks. Parks can be beautiful and still use native, drought-tolerant plants. Localscaping doesn’t mean dry and ugly — it means smart, sustainable, and adapted to our climate.

We build a culture of conservation.

I'd love to see an annual home and garden tour highlighting homes and businesses already leading the way in sustainable landscaping. It’s low-cost, community-driven, and educational — and it celebrates the kind of innovation and stewardship we should be proud of. With support from local nonprofits, businesses, and the continued incredible efforts of our library, we could turn conservation into something inspiring and fun.

We connect people to resources.

We already have amazing partners like Utah State University Extension and the Central Utah Water Conservancy District, offering free classes, tools, and workshops. We can do a better job promoting those — using our city’s communication team, local influencers, and nonprofits to spread the word and bring those opportunities right to our residents.

We finish what we’ve started.

Some neighborhoods already have secondary water infrastructure ("purple pipe") in place. As mayor, I’ll work closely with the city council to prioritize funding and long-term planning so we can expand water reuse systems and make the most of every drop.

At the end of the day, this isn’t just policy — it’s personal. I want my kids — and yours — to grow up in a city that plans ahead, protects its resources, and leads with heart. And that starts with water.

Cost of Growth & New Development

How will you make sure new development pays its fair share so current residents don’t get stuck with the bill?

Honestly, this hits close to home. I talk to families every week who feel like they’re paying more and more for services that are stretched thin. And they’re right to be frustrated.

Part of the challenge is that many of our utility rates — like power, gas, and wastewater — are set by outside providers, such as Rocky Mountain Power, Enbridge, and Timpanogos Special Service District. But where the city does have control, we have a responsibility to plan ahead and make sure growth pays for itself.

As mayor, I will work in harmony with our Council to:

Update impact fees regularly so they actually reflect today’s construction and infrastructure costs. Impact fees are passed on to future homeowners, so it’s crucial we get this right — not too low (which shifts the burden to taxpayers), and not arbitrary.

Push for transparency and accountability in developer agreements, ensuring they fund or build the roads, utilities, and parks their developments require.

Prioritize annual fee vs. fund analysis — not once a decade. We should treat the city budget like a family budget: if you don’t check in regularly, you risk a mess that affects everyone.

If rate adjustments are needed, we’ll do them based on real data, with plenty of notice, and total transparency about where the money is going. People shouldn’t have to guess how their rates or fees are being used. And I’ll make sure they don’t.

When growth is planned responsibly, it can improve quality of life. But if we don’t keep up with costs and infrastructure, our current residents are left holding the bag. I’m running to make sure that doesn’t happen.

Quality of Life

What are your priorities for parks, library space, and youth programs — and how would you fund them?

Eagle Mountain is a city full of young families — and that means we need more places for kids to play, learn, and grow. As mayor, I’ll prioritize:

Finishing, expanding and adding new parks where they’re needed most,
Expanding access to library services, and
Creating more youth programs, from after-school enrichment to summer activities.

These can be funded through impact fees, grants, and local partnerships. I’m a mom — I understand how critical it is for our kids to have safe, enriching spaces close to home. And I have a track record of doing exactly this kind of work.

This has been a hallmark of my service:

I helped launch the Eagle Mountain Arts Alliance to create opportunities in arts and culture for children, youth, and adults.
I’ve served on the Parks & Recreation Advisory Board, working side-by-side with residents and city staff to complete parks that were promised — but not finished.
In my work with the local Chamber of Commerce, I’ve helped grow youth civic engagement opportunities, launch junior chamber programs, and increase sponsorships for youth sports and activities.
In my own hometown, I founded a Children’s Theatre that served thousands of kids with performance and tech education — funded completely by private donations and grants, with scholarships so no child was left out.

One of my biggest goals is to build a city our kids are proud to call their hometown. That starts with creating world-class parks, library services, and youth programs — not for show, but because that’s what our families deserve.

Let’s also remember that for some kids — and even some adults — the library is a lifeline. It’s a place to learn English, get access to computers, or find a quiet spot to study. As our population grows, our library must grow too, and I’ll continue to support and expand its services and its footprint.

In the city of Herriman, my friend Mayor Lorin Palmer leads with innovation and community investment. Herriman has a community led, and city supported program called "Friends of Herriman" it fosters opportunities in the arts, supports the library, and provides service and volunteer opportunities. We're working on something like that as a city, but I want to use a similar model as Herriman where the citizens get to help serve and shape what that looks like. In 2021, I helped start EM Serves as an effort to help the community come together and serve as a part of the National Day of Service. We have been growing that program and working to bring the people, churches, businesses, nonprofits, service organizations together to take care of the needs of our community and to foster a culture of service.

As Mayor, I will work with our School Board and local schools to support our one existing teen center, and to ensure that we are planning for the next one, and the next one, until, with the help of our local businesses and incredible residents, we make sure that we provide opportunities for every kid and family in Eagle Mountain. I have supported the efforts of the existing Teen Center at Rockwell High School and I will work with partners, like local School Board Member Julie King, to foster programs like a Boys and Girls Club here. (And I think we can do that and be tax neutral without burdening family budgets, but work to increase our commercial tax base and seek funding sources like the HUD funded Community Development Block Grants, corporate giving, and private funding sources.)

We don’t have to wait for someone else to fix this — we can build it together. And when we do, we’ll have a city where every kid has the opportunity to grow up safe, supported, and proud of where they come from.

Emergency Preparedness

What are your plans for improving emergency preparedness and evacuation routes?

Emergency preparedness isn’t just a line item on my to-do list — it’s a personal passion. For years, I’ve been involved in preparedness efforts throughout our city:

I’ve served on the local CERT team,
Mentored youth and Scouts through preparedness-focused Eagle Scout projects,
Taught preparedness classes, and
I even earned my own ham radio license so I can communicate in an emergency when others can’t.

I’ve worked closely with our Emergency Manager, Jeff Weber, to prioritize, fund, and outfit the CERT trailers so we can have two trailers that can be brought into any area of the city in the event of a disaster. The City equipped two CERT trailers with ham radios, antennas, generators, search and rescue gear, fire suppression equipment, and first aid supplies — ready to be deployed anywhere in the city when disaster strikes.

I also introduced and prioritized the funding and construction of our 10,000-gallon underground diesel fuel reserve at the EM Community Development Building — now a key asset. In a widespread emergency, that reserve ensures we have the fuel and equipment needed to restore vital city infrastructure when others might be left waiting.

But we can do more. And as mayor, I will make sure we do.

This is a serious safety issue, especially in a city like ours where geography can make evacuation complex. We need:

A clear, citywide evacuation plan with alternate routes and real-time communication tools,
Continued investment in redundant water and power systems,
And accelerated timelines on key road projects to improve access in and out of the city.

I will support our incredible public safety leaders — Director David Ulibarri, Chief Deputy Erik Knutzen, and Chief Embrett Fossum — and work with our City Council to make sure our team has the resources they need to keep Eagle Mountain safe and ready for anything.

We can’t always prevent emergencies, but we can plan ahead. And with the right leadership, I believe Eagle Mountain can become one of the most prepared communities in the state.