Tom Sensible, Deseret Information
Rocky Anderson left workplace as mayor of Salt Lake Metropolis as his second time period ended on the finish of 2008.
Now, almost 15 years later, he needs one other crack on the helm of Utah's capital metropolis, saying he is fed up with how town is run at the moment.
Anderson informed a small group of supporters throughout an occasion Wednesday night time that he'll search a 3rd time period after coming to the choice over the previous weekend. He is undecided but when he'll make a public announcement and file the paperwork to make it official.
"It has been build up for a very long time," he informed KSL NewsRadio on Thursday. "Initially, I used to be completely against doing it. It is not what I had in thoughts for myself, however I made a decision that this metropolis is at its absolute worst. It is unsafe, it is filthy (and) we're not coping with the homeless in a humane means. ... All we do is transfer one encampment from one place to a different to a different and to a different."
The previous mayor, who turns 71 subsequent month, mentioned he is discovered that he nonetheless has the vitality and keenness to supervise town. He added that he does not imagine the homeless useful resource facilities have helped with neighborhoods, pointing to points within the metropolis's Ballpark neighborhood. The neighborhood, which simply acquired a brand new police substation Thursday, is by one of many new metropolis's homeless useful resource facilities that opened after the closure of the downtown Street House in 2019.
Public police knowledge presents that violent crime is up 11% from final yr and over 38% from the five-year common within the council district that features the neighborhood, although complete crime is down about 7% from final yr and almost 1% from the five-year common, by way of the top of July. Anderson mentioned the neighborhood "smells like a human sewer," too, because of human excrements left on the road.
The identical report additionally lists citywide violent crime as up 9.6% from the identical five-year common, however down about 3% under the identical level final yr. Whole crime can also be listed down 9% citywide from final yr and almost 2% from the five-year common.
Anderson added that he is introduced his frustrations up with the workplace of present Salt Lake Metropolis Mayor Erin Mendenhall and does not imagine they've dealt with the problems appropriately, which he says has allowed a number of the issues to fester.
"They do not care concerning the dignity points. They do not care concerning the hygiene. They do not care concerning the individuals who stay in or go to our metropolis, the place we've these issues," Anderson mentioned. "It has been happening now for years and we have seen zero progress. ... After we all come collectively, this may be solved. However the mayor should be main the cost and this mayor and employees are holding photograph op press conferences."
Mendenhall took workplace in 2020 after defeating Sen. Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake Metropolis, within the 2019 mayoral election. Ian Koski, her political adviser, pushed again towards Anderson's claims in an announcement to KSL.com.
"It is simple to snipe and second-guess on Twitter, however Mayor Mendenhall is doing the arduous work of governing every single day in service to the folks of Salt Lake Metropolis. That is the place her focus is," his assertion reads. "She has delivered actual outcomes for town by way of unprecedented crises and challenges."
Anderson is maybe finest identified for serving because the mayor when Salt Lake Metropolis hosted the Winter Olympics in 2002. However he was additionally identified for being outspoken on quite a lot of points starting from the atmosphere to his disapproval of then-President George W. Bush.
Whereas controversial at instances, a KSL/Deseret Information ballot of 413 Salt Lake Metropolis residents revealed in April 2007 discovered that he had a 59% approval ranking within the remaining yr of his second time period. The ballot was performed after he had introduced that yr that he wouldn't search a 3rd time period.
He is remained an outspoken determine since then as a human rights activist. He additionally publicly left the Democratic Get together to kind the Justice Get together in 2011, blasting President Barack Obama, in addition to Democrats and Republicans in Congress, alongside the best way. Anderson mentioned Thursday that he nonetheless associates along with his third social gathering a decade later.
There are at present three individuals who have committees for mayoral campaigns arrange with Salt Lake Metropolis listed as open by town. These are Mendenhall, former Downtown Neighborhood Council Chairman Christian Harrison, and group activist Michael Valentine.
Metropolis council districts two, 4 and 6 are additionally up for election subsequent yr.
Contributing: Adam Small