Mayoral race in Driggs heats up

JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — The mayoral race in Driggs, Idaho is heating up as election day nears tomorrow.

Challenger August Christensen has not missed many opportunities to take shots at sitting mayor Hyrum Johnson. Christensen, an 8-year city council member and current president, has accused Johnson of using his position to squelch opposing voices by controlling agenda items and going rogue on some decisions.

The eight-year incumbent mayor admitted a strained relationship with Christensen, but Johnson says her allegations do not reflect the rest of the council and are lies or half-truths at best.

Gloves are off

During a mayoral candidate forum on October 21, an ongoing feud between Christensen and Johnson manifested itself again.

“Myself and many others have been extremely disappointed in the level of control that the current mayor brings to the City of Driggs. This control has been in many different ways, and has led to the resignation of a longtime council member Ralph Mossman,” Christensen said, referring to the January resignation of eight-year councilmember Mossman, who was caught in an email crossfire between Christensen and Johnson. “It’s time for a fresh perspective for a community that wants to retain a small-town feel.”

Johnson steered clear of most of Christensen’s sniping during the forum, but fired back on occasion.

“Clearly August is unhappy with me. I accept that. I recognize that. However, the things she keeps claiming here are simply not true or are half-truths,” Johnson said. “A lot of the criticisms I’m hearing here are August’s criticism as a single member of a city council—not recognizing the council is a body of four members who make decisions. The mayor does not make decisions. The mayor just executes them. So, three members of the council have made decisions I support and believe are right.”

Elephant in the room: growth

Christensen’s allegations as to the mayor’s abuse of power are just one of the aspects dividing the two candidates. Growth is at the center.

With Teton Valley on the verge of filling out “ghost subdivisions” in Victor and Driggs—along with expansion at Targhee—zoning, traffic, infrastructure, quality of life, are all topics reflecting impending growing pains being bantered about.

Christensen says she wants to keep the City of Driggs the tightknit community it is today.

“I love our small-town feel. I would like to continue that,” Christensen says. “The majority of people live here because this is the culture they are choosing and would like to continue that. That’s what I’m passionate about.”

Johnson counters saying, “I want to keep this place great; a place my kids can come back to, where they can afford a make a living. That’s my priority.”

Line item scrapping

Christensen mentioned the “Incubator Building” as one point of contention. The city owns the building that houses business startups until they are ready to find a place of their own.

Christensen says Johnson decided on his own to put the building up for sale and end the program. Johnson says all but one business has already left the building.

“Recently, the mayor brought the idea to sell the building. I was shocked,” Christensen said. “He said it was losing money. But it actually isn’t. We are in a really small town and this is a really important resource. “I’m also extremely disappointed to hear the tenants had to find out through the newspaper.”

Johnson said “all but one [business] has graduated from the program” and claimed it was the perfect time to sell. He added that he was in talks with the sole remaining business to have them purchase the building.

A squabble over a city manager hiring also proved contentious last week. Christensen alleged such a position was essential in order to keep politics out of the operation of city council.

“Without a city manager, the elected mayor [performs this function]. There can be a lot of politics with this. It’s important to separate out what is important, and keeping politics out of it,” Christensen said.

Johnson claimed it was he who first introduced the idea of a city manager in 2017, but budget constraints have ultimately been a roadblock.

“To suggest we can just go plug that in shows a lack of understanding or a lack of integrity,” Johnson said.

Finally, accessibility and accountability were brought up at the candidate forum. Christensen claiming many businesses she’s talked to have never seen the mayor set foot in their place. Johnson said he’s been in every Driggs business within the past year, and fired back vague accusations regarding integrity and possible conflict of interests for Christensen.

“I am passionate about integrity in government. About making sure than I am completely open and transparent,” Johnson said. “I demand integrity from our staff and city council members. I am concerned about conflicts of interest my opponent has exhibited in the past. I’m concerned about a lack of integrity in her statements in meetings.”

Christensen said she didn’t know what conflict of interest Johnson was talking about.

“I have no idea what that is. I can’t even search my brain for anything,” she said.