Mayoral candidates David Ibarra, Luz Escamilla, and the future of Salt Lake City
Luz Escamilla and David Ibarra are both vying for the title of mayor of Salt Lake City.
Salt Lake City faces a lot of problems, issues that affect each one of us, either directly or indirectly, in a very real and future-shaping way, like:
- the Inland Port
- homelessness
- affordable housing
- the economy; and
- medical cannabis
With the mayoral race heating up, the best thing we can do for ourselves as individuals, as a community, is to be informed, to fully know and understand the issues and any individual who proclaims to have the answers to these problems.
Being mayor of Salt Lake City in today’s climate is no easy task. It takes a dedicated individual to willingly walk into a fire not afraid of the burn.
So what is it about David Ibarra and Luz Escamilla that makes them want to take on such a challenge?
“I want to be mayor because, over my career, I have developed some skills where I have coached hundreds of companies all across America and CEOs. I was born and raised in Utah. I grew up in business starting as a dishwasher and worked my way up to the point I am today … I just feel like it’s a good time in my career to offer my skills to public service. I found out there are two things you really need to have in order to be successful: capital or talent. I didn’t have any capital, so I had to zero in talent, and I gained a reputation of being an individual who can fix things,” David Ibarra said.
Luz Escamilla said, “Salt Lake City is at a crossroads. We really need a leader with a vision of sustainability as we move forward. We’re growing really fast, our economy is strong and growing, but then you are starting to see the disparages in wage gaps, in opportunities for people to be able afford to live in Salt Lake City; and I want to be the mayor that will bring all people together, all about inclusiveness … We also need to make sure we become the destination for education and for businesses, for inclusiveness … and one of the ways we do that is collaboration. I have 11 years in the state legislature where I’ve done that [collaboration] successfully as a member of the minority party, passing more than 50 bills. I’ve been a champion for Salt Lake City for years and I’m excited to put my skills, experience, record, and reputation to practice as Salt Lake City mayor.”
Join us on The Utah Stories Show to continue the conversation, as both Escamilla and Ibarra go deeper into the main issues facing Utah’s capital.
You can also listen on these platforms:
