The mayor of Draper, speaking at the Utah League of Cities and Towns meeting, urged municipal leaders to focus on restoring civic trust, engaging with schools and students, and explaining how local taxes fund everyday services.

The speech focused on why mayors and council members matter at the neighborhood level and how local government delivers services residents notice every day. The mayor said student government members at a recent Constitution Day event asked him, “Mayor, can you give us some hope about our country?” He described that question as “profound” and called hope “a feeling of trust.”

The mayor recounted a historical example — the April 12, 1864 attack on Fort Pillow — to argue that rapid circulation of graphic news and public shock are not new, and that such events can change public opinion and the course of policy. He said the Fort Pillow coverage shifted Abraham Lincoln’s thinking about the war and slavery.

Turning to municipal finance, the mayor acknowledged he ran for office to lower property taxes but said levies rose because they pay for services residents expect: “We don't raise them to take trips to France. We raise them to pay for firemen, and fire trucks, and police officers, and paramedics, and potholes, and roads, and open space, and festivals.” He gave a concrete example: the city portion of his property tax bill last year was $741 and, he said, that paid for police response, fire service, paramedics, pothole repairs and parks.

The mayor urged local officials to bring civic education into classrooms and to explain municipal budgets to constituents: take a tax notice into a school or to a resident and explain how local government spends that money. He framed that outreach as practical work that preserves the Constitution’s promise of self-government.

He also defended the Utah League of Cities and Towns’ legislative work, saying the League “fights like the Dickens” at the state legislature and is strategic about when to expend political capital. He praised League staff by name for organizing and supporting members.

The address mixed anecdote and history with policy messages aimed at mayors and council members: prioritize civic education, be transparent about tax trade-offs, and continue the League’s advocacy at the state level. The mayor closed by thanking colleagues and League staff for their service and encouragement.