HYDE PARK, Cache County — Around midnight, Mayor Bryan Cox ushered away family and friends.

The group had been waiting to hear results of a ballot initiative allowing the sale of alcohol within Hyde Park. As the night wore on, the mayor thought he could catch the results on the morning news.

Around 2:30 a.m., Cox received a phone call with the results.

"It almost passed 2 to 1," he said.

The initiative passed with 64 percent of the vote. Cox said he was not surprised by the results, but he knew that a voter turnout of more than 50 percent meant that people were invested in this year's election.

The issue, Proposition 8, was one that divided many in the city, Cox said.

The mayor said he's confident, however, that Hyde Park will "pull together as a community."

Other late results

The results of several races and issues that were unknown late Tuesday night were available Wednesday.

Richard Brunst maintained his lead in the Orem mayoral election. Voters in the city also opted to renew a cultural, arts and recreation enrichment tax, but they denied a proposal to raise property taxes.

In Alpine, Don N. Watkins ousted incumbent Mayor Hunt Willoughby, earning roughly 57 percent of the vote.

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American Fork Mayor James H. Hadfield retained his seat, earning nearly 54 percent of the vote over challenger Bill Thresher. More than 71 percent of voters denied the proposed $20 million road improvement bond that was also on the ballot. Highland's new mayor will be Mark S. Thompson, who defeated Larry M. Mendenhall, carrying about 55 percent of the vote. Thompson will replace current Mayor Lynn V. Ritchie.

A write-in candidate swept the election in Pleasant Grove. In the race between Bruce W. Call and David Peterson, former Pleasant Grove Mayor Mike Daniels rose to the top, earning 55 percent of the vote.

Also in Pleasant Grove, 70 percent of voters cast their ballots against a $16.96 million bond proposal for a new fire station, police station and justice court facility.

Still too close to call

There were also a handful of close races whose outcomes won't be known officially until municipal election canvass meetings on Nov. 19.

According to Utah code, a candidate may request a recount if final tallies show them to be within 0.25 percent of a contending candidate's votes. Provisional and absentee ballots will determine whether candidates may request a recount.

South Jordan mayoral candidates Dave Alvord and incumbent Scott L. Osborne were separated by just 19 votes, with Alvord earning 4,691 votes to Osborne's 4,672 in the unofficial tally.

In Utah County, Salem City Council candidate Sterling M. Rees won the majority vote Tuesday, but the other open seat will either go to Soren K. Christensen or Sid Jorgensen, who were separated by just one vote.

In Davis County, the Clinton City Council may also see a change. Karen M. Peterson led the pack with the most votes to claim one of the open seats. But Michael Ray Petersen (699) was just 10 votes ahead of Barbara J. Patterson (689) for the second seat in the unofficial results.

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