What should a mayor do when public comment turns toxic, budgets tighten, and traffic swells?

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Growth doesn’t wait for perfect alignment, and neither should we. This conversation with Mayor Michele Randall digs into the choices shaping Southern Utah right now: a Northern Corridor designed to relieve real congestion, a beloved Zone Six worth protecting, and a Western Corridor that shouldn’t split SunRiver’s sense of place. We walk the ground-level details—UDOT influence, MPO dynamics, SITLA’s school-funding mandate, and federal timelines—so you can judge the trade-offs with clear eyes.

We also trace how traffic and housing connect. St. George’s topography and past land-use shifts created choke points that neighborhood commercial can finally ease. Think daily needs embedded near homes, fewer cross-town trips, and smarter corridors that carry regional growth without turning downtown into a freeway. On the housing front, Michele backs practical flexibility: ADUs in every zone, mixed-style neighborhoods, studio and mid-rise apartments near jobs like Tech Ridge, and a faster, clearer path through approvals. Affordability isn’t solved by slogans—it’s zoning, timing, and supply that work together.

Budgets matter because priorities do. You’ll hear the unvarnished timeline behind the proposed property tax increase, why the council reversed course at truth-in-taxation, and how the city still funded core public safety—new stations, equipment, and a majority of planned positions—by cutting elsewhere and tapping capital funds. We get into the city’s new budgeting approach where council priorities lead and departments build to outcomes: safer streets, maintained roads, reliable parks, responsive services.

Along the way, we confront labels and look at leadership. Michele argues that a nonpartisan mayor meets with everyone, protects heritage with context (from national historic status for the Sugar Loaf and the “D” to a new interpretive trail), and keeps the focus on what makes daily life better. She addresses attendance rumors head-on, shares her health journey, and emphasizes how city work continued seamlessly with strong staff and open channels—public comment rebuilt, online submissions live, and direct contact by phone and email.

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[00:00:00] Intro and welcome.
[00:03:40] Rebuilding Public Comment
[00:12:45] Direct Access: Calls, Emails, Meetings
[00:16:45] How Agendas Get Made
[00:21:00] Northern Corridor: Support And Limits
[00:28:10] Zone Six: Protect Or Build
[00:33:40] Western Corridor And SunRiver
[00:37:45] Traffic, Land Use, And Neighborhood Commercial
[00:45:40] Zoning For Affordability: ADUs To Mixed Use
[00:53:10] Density, Tech Ridge, And Housing Types
[00:58:40] Budget, Taxes, And Public Safety Priorities