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EAGLE MOUNTAIN, Utah (AP) -- The City Council has unanimously chosen a commercial banker to be the next mayor of Eagle Mountain.
Don Richardson was sworn in shortly before midnight Tuesday. He was among 15 candidates who were interviewed during a three-hour meeting earlier that night by council members.
Richardson will be mayor until November 2007, when voters will elect someone to fill the remaining two years of the term vacated by Brian Olsen, who suddenly resigned last month after taking office in January.
Olsen listed "family and personal considerations" in his resignation letter, but his departure may have been linked to an investigation into allegations that he misused public money to go to conferences that never took place or he didn't attend. He has been charged with seven felony counts of misuse of public funds.
Before being sworn in, Richardson said he would only serve as part-time mayor.
"I'm pursuing my career full time as well as working for the city," he told council members. "I want to make sure that is OK with each of you so we don't get started on the wrong foot."
Richardson said his employer, Central Bank, has agreed to give him some time off to assess the status of the city.
"My first priority is to get a city administrator put in and make sure he or she is running smoothly and then go back to work full time," he said.
Richardson said he was willing to negotiate his mayoral salary.
"I was thinking half, to save the city some money," he said.
Councilman Vincent Liddiard said Olsen's salary was $50,000, including $20,000 in benefits.
Eagle Mountain, located in western Utah County about 30 miles south of Salt Lake City, is one of the fastest growing and youngest cities in the state.
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APTV-11-15-06 0958MST
