Nancy Workman

Nancy Workman was the first county mayor of Salt Lake County, and a member of the Republican Party.^[1] Utah She was born December 9, 1940 in Pueblo, Colorado, but grew up in Boise, Idaho where her father was an automobile dealer. She finally settled in the Salt Lake Valley during her senior year of high school.

Workman went to college at the University of Utah and ran a construction business before seeking office as county recorder. After an unsuccessful bid in 1990 she was finally elected in 1994 to a six-year term. Later, after the post was approved by the county commission, Workman was elected to the newly created post of County Mayor.

As County Mayor, Workman presided over a budget of nearly $700 million and never asked for a tax increase. She moved the county-owned planetarium from its historic but outdated facility on State Street to a new shopping development known as Gateway. Workman also worked to establish a fire district and supported self-determination of unincorporated areas of the county.

In 2004 democratic District Attorney David Yocum accused Workman of mis-appropriating funds to pay for an employee at a local chapter of the Boys and Girls Club of America. She faced two felony charges of misusing county monies by allegedly placing county employees at the club:^[1][2] one Second Degree Felony and one Third Degree.^[3]

During the trial it was revealed that the county employee was actually hired as a replacement for Workman's daughter at the Boys & Girls Club, rather than an assistant, as the D.A. had suspected. On February 10, 2005 a jury found Workman not guilty of all charges.^[4]

Originally, Workman thought not to drop out of the 2004 county mayoral race, even when the Utah GOP dropped public support for her. The Republicans replaced her with Ellis Ivory as a write-in candidate. On October 12, 2004, Workman decided to drop out of the race in an effort to give the Republicans a better chance at securing the office.^[5]

After spending over a year focusing on family and friends, Nancy was asked to serve as the President of the Sandy Area Chamber of Commerce in the spring of 2006.

References

1. Bob Bernick Jr. (September 16, 2004). "Ballot-exit law likely will be changed in 2005". Deseret News. Retrieved 2010-09-20.
2. Donald C. Menzel (2007). Ethics management for public administrators: building organizations of integrity. M.E. Sharpe. p. 102. Retrieved 2010-07-20.
3. State of Utah v. Nancy B. Workman, case number 041905777.
4. Alan Edwards (February 11, 2005). "Workman sheds tears at acquittal". Deseret News. Retrieved 2010-07-20.
5. "Embattled Salt Lake Mayor Quits Race". AP. October 12, 2004.