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Sam Penrod ReportingThe race for the mayor's seat in Provo is starting to heat up. The challenger says it is time for a change, while the mayor seeking re-election says his opponent is making the race negative.
This is a rematch from the election four years ago, where Mayor Lewis Billings narrowly beat Dave Bailey. The two are running again this time, and both seem to have different ideas when it comes to the future of Provo.
Lewis Billings is seeking his third term as Provo's mayor and calls his time in office successful.
Lewis Billings, Candidate For Provo Mayor: "I think one of the first and foremost goals of any mayor should have is to keep the city safe. And this city is safer today than it was four years ago. My opponent will tell you it's not, but that's not true."
Billings' opponent is retired Provo firefighter Dave Bailey, who says Provo is in need of a change when it comes to city services, fiscal responsibility and economic development.
Dave Bailey, Candidate For Provo Mayor: "We need to bring more business, retail business, that's what pays the bills. We need light manufacturing, that brings in jobs."
Bailey also sees the need for the mayor to work harder with the city council.
Dave Bailey, Candidate For Provo Mayor: "We've seen a complete breakdown in the openness between the mayor's office and the city council, they're just not in the loop anymore and I'd like to see that changed."
Lewis Billings, Candidate For Provo Mayor; "He's trying to claim they don't know things that they get invited at 1:00 in the afternoon for an event that evening. That's just baloney, it's just more misinformation; it's just spending a lot of effort to find anything and everything he can twist to point to a negative."
Something that both candidates can agree on is that more money will be spent on this campaign for mayor than ever before in Provo, and that it will be a close race.
Lewis Billings, Candidate For Provo Mayor: "I think he needs to be invited to come forward and bring some vision, to bring some proposal of what he is going to do."
Dave Bailey, Candidate For Provo Mayor: "I was the underdog by 362 votes. I expect to see that change dramatically this time."
We will have to wait until November 8th to find out who will win this election. Both sides say it will likely come down to who can get their voters to the polls on election day.
