Iron County municipalities welcome new City Council members

IRON COUNTY — The municipalities of Cedar City, Parowan and Enoch all welcomed new city council members this week.

Robert Cox, Carter Wilkey and Tyler Melling are sworn in as Cedar City Council members, Cedar City, Utah, Jan 2. 2024 | Photo courtesy of Cedar City Corporation, Cedar City News

On Tuesday, Cedar City swore in two newcomers, Robert S. Cox and Carter Wilkey, along with returning councilman Tyler Melling, in a ceremony held in the City Council chambers.

The three took the oath of office, guided by Justice Court Judge Brent A. Dunlap, and posed for pictures with Mayor Garth Green before the short event was adjourned for cookies and chatter. They attended their first meeting on Wednesday.

On his upcoming term, Cox told Cedar City News he hopes to promote access to affordable housing, resolve the city’s issues with water and infrastructure, and “make Cedar City a little better than I found it, even though it’s really good.”

He said his experience as a certified public accountant puts him in a unique position to “understand some — probably expensive — things that are going to go through in the coming years.”

“It’s very expensive to build and maintain roads and so forth,” Cox said. “So, I think we need someone with that kind of background to help guide the ship.”

In a statement emailed to Cedar City News, Wilkey thanked Cedar City’s citizens, saying he is excited and grateful to serve on the City Council.

Robert Cox, Carter Wilkey and Tyler Melling are sworn in as Cedar City Council members, Cedar City, Utah, Jan 2. 2024 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, Cedar City News

“This position is not something I take lightly, and I recognize the trust our voters have placed in me,” Wilkey wrote. “As our city continues to grow, we will during these next four years be making decisions that will affect our residents for many years. We need to make sure ‘getting what we want today, doesn’t affect our ability to have what we need in the future.’”

Additionally, Wilkey said residents are welcome to contact him with issues or concerns.

“Please reach out and let’s discuss your concern,” he wrote. “Ultimately, decisions have to be made, and unfortunately not everyone agrees on the outcome. I will always do my best to express to the public why I voted on items the way I did.”

For his part, Melling said his second term, which he will complete at the end of 2027, will be his last.

“I am humbled to take the oath of office with my two new fellow council members,” he told Cedar City News. “Cedar City is a great place for visitors, but I will spend the next four years ensuring it’s also a great place for residents at every stage of their lives.”

Parowan

At noon on Wednesday, incumbent David Burton was joined by two new faces on the Parowan City Council, namely David Harris and John Dean. The trio were sworn in by City Recorder Callie Bassett.

L-R: Debra Ley, David Harris and Shawn Stoor are sworn in as Enoch City Council members during the council’s first meeting of the new year, Enoch, Utah, Jan. 3, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

The Parowan City Council’s first meeting of the new year is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Jan. 11.

Enoch

On Wednesday evening, the Enoch City Council kicked off its first meeting of the year with the swearing-in of three council members: incumbents David Harris and Shawn Stoor, plus newcomer Debra Ley. They were administered the oath of office by City Recorder Lindsay Hildenbrand.

Enoch Mayor Geoffrey Chesnut said he’s looking forward to continuing to work with the council members.

Among the items on the evening’s agenda were ordinances addressing burial vault requirements and transportation impact fees.

Cedar City News reporter Jeff Richards contributed to this story.

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