Erin Mendenhall Explained

Erin Mendenhall
Office:36th Mayor of Salt Lake City
Term Start:January 6, 2020
Predecessor:Jackie Biskupski
Office1:Member of the Salt Lake City Council
from the 5th district
Term Start1:January 6, 2014
Term End1:January 6, 2020
Predecessor1:Jill Remington Love[1]
Successor1:Darin Mano
Birth Date:8 June 1980
Birth Place:Arizona, U.S.
Party:Democratic
Spouse:
    Children:3
    Education:University of Utah (BA, MS)

    Erin Mendenhall (born June 8, 1980)[2] is an American politician and activist who has been serving as the mayor of Salt Lake City, Utah since 2020.[3] Upon taking office as Salt Lake City’s 36th mayor, Mendenhall became the city’s third and youngest woman in the role (after Deedee Corradini and Jackie Biskupski). Prior to assuming office, Mendenhall represented the city’s 5th district on the Salt Lake City Council.

    Early life and education

    Mendenhall was born in Arizona and moved to Sandy, Utah, when she was seven.[4] Her father, Don, died from Hodgkin lymphoma when she was 14.[5] She graduated from the University of Utah with a Bachelor of Arts degree in gender studies and a certificate in Non Profit Leadership and Management.[6] In 2019, she earned a Master of Science degree in science and technology from the University of Utah.

    Early career

    After college, Mendenhall conducted air-quality testing and internal auditing at Sterigenics, which sterilizes medical equipment.

    She first entered politics as an air-quality activist with Utah Moms for Clean Air, but in 2010 moved on to co-found the non-profit Breathe Utah because "she quickly realized she could more effectively fight for changes as someone sitting at the decision-making table rather than protesting outside the door."

    City Council (2014–2020)

    Mendenhall was elected to the Salt Lake City Council in November 2013 to represent District 5, which includes the Ballpark, Liberty Wells, Central 9th, and East Liberty Park neighborhoods.[7] She took office in January 2014 and improving air quality became her signature issue. In May 2014, Mendenhall was appointed to the Utah Air Quality Board,[8] which is the "primary air quality policy maker for the State of Utah."[9]

    In 2015, Mendenhall and the City Council voted unanimously to cut campaign-finance limits, reducing the maximum contribution to a mayoral election from $7,500 to $3,500, and the maximum contribution to a City Council candidate from $1,600 to $750.[10]

    In July 2017, Mendenhall led on the passage of an ordinance to crack down on "businesses that are hotbeds of crime." The ordinance was designed to close a loophole that led to stop motels and hotels on State Street allowing sex work and drug dealing without legal consequence. "We are drawing a line in the sand," Mendenhall said.[11]

    In 2017, Mendenhall was re-elected to the City Council with 84% of the vote.[12]

    In November 2017, Mendenhall led the Salt Lake City Council to unanimously approve an ordnance limiting the capacity of homeless shelters to 200.[13]

    In March 2018, the Utah Legislature passed a bill that cut Salt Lake City out of the process of developing an inland port in the city’s Northwest Quadrant.[14] The legislation also took 100% of the tax revenue generated from the Inland Port while denying the city’s mayor a seat on the Inland Port Authority and forcing the city to pay for police and fire department coverage of the area.

    In July 2018, Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski withdrew from negotiations with the state government over the port project.[15] With the state moving the Port project forward without the city’s input, Mendenhall re-opened negotiations in her capacity as chair of the City Council.[16]

    Based on those negotiations, on July 18, 2018, the Legislature passed additional legislation that required 10% of tax revenue generated by the inland port to be invested in affordable housing in Salt Lake City. The bill also required the Port to pay the city for its share of taxes needed to cover the cost of city services including police and fire.[17] In an editorial, the Salt Lake Tribune called the bill "a great improvement over what sits on the books."[18]

    2019 mayoral campaign

    See also: 2019 Salt Lake City mayoral election.

    Mendenhall was the last of nine candidates to declare her candidacy for mayor, doing so on March 24, 2019, citing her "hands-on" experience.[19]

    Mendenhall officially launched her campaign on April 14, 2019 outside an air-quality monitoring station at the Salt Lake Center for Science Education, a STEM focused charter school in the historically underrepresented Rose Park neighborhood. “My time on the City Council shows how I get results,” Mendenhall said. “As chair of the council, I made a seat for our city at the table when there wasn’t one, when the state was ready to move ahead with the inland port without Salt Lake City.”[20]

    A poll conducted in June by Dan Jones & Associates for the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce showed Mendenhall in third place with 12% support. A Salt Lake Tribune-Hinckley Institute of Politics poll conducted in late July by the Cicero Group also found Mendenhall in third place with 14% support.[21]

    Mendenhall leaned on her experience on the city council and positioned herself as the candidate best able to get the most from the city government. "After 12 years of mayors with experience on Capitol Hill instead of City Hall, Salt Lake City deserves a mayor with the right experience for a change," Mendenhall wrote in an August 7, 2019 op-ed in the Salt Lake Tribune.[22]

    The nonpartisan primary election was held on August 13, 2019. Mendenhall finished in first place with 24.27%, topping State Senators Luz Escamilla and Jim Dabakis to advance to the general election.

    Mendenhall released a series of policy proposals, including plans focusing on affordable housing,[23] building a high-tech ecosystem in the city,[24] and planting 1,000 new trees a year on the city's West side.[25]

    In the 2019 Salt Lake City mayoral election, Mendenhall defeated State Senator Luz Escamilla 58.17% to 41.83% to become the 36th mayor of Salt Lake City. Mendenhall became the city's third female mayor (after Deedee Corradini and Jackie Biskupski).[26]

    Mayor (2020–present)

    Air quality

    In her inaugural address, Mendenhall announced that city departments would begin factoring impacts on air quality into every decision, prompting the director of the Utah Clean Air Partnership to call the move "phenomenal leadership."[27]

    In 2021, the utility that provides electricity to the city, Rocky Mountain Power, announced it would not be able to deliver renewable electricity until "closer to 2050"— 20 years later than pledged.[28] Mendenhall negotiated a first-in-the-nation partnership with more than a dozen other municipalities to create a Community Renewable Energy Agency that will deliver net-100% renewable electricity citywide by 2030.[29]

    Mendenhall negotiated a separate partnership with Park City, Summit County, Utah Valley University, Deer Valley Resort, and Park City Mountain to construct an 80-megawatt solar farm in Tooele County to fulfill 80% of the city government's power needs.[30]

    Under Mendenhall's Sustainable Development Policy, all new buildings that receive funding from the city must meet energy efficiency standards and be emission-free.[31]

    To allow more city residents to participate in the State of Utah's lawnmower trade-in program, which provides rebates for residents wishing to trade-out their gas-burning lawnmower for an electric model, Mendenhall negotiated with the state to invest city dollars in the program earmarked for city residents. A quarter of the rebates were earmarked for West side residents. The change resulted in four times as many Salt Lake City residents participating.[32]

    Additionally, the city is transitioning its gas-powered riding lawnmowers to an all-electric fleet in order to reduce pollution.[33]

    To promote the use of public transit, Mendenhall proposed and partially-funded the Free Fare February program in 2022, which made the entire Utah Transit Authority system free to ride for a month.[34] "Final data provided by UTA for 'Free Fare February' shows a 16% increase in weekday ridership system-wide; a 58% spike on Saturdays (with an astounding 202% increase on Frontrunner trains); and a nearly 33% increase on Sundays (when only buses and TRAX are available)." The success of the program led to legislators proposing eliminating UTA fares permanently.[35] Governor Spencer Cox said he supports the idea, but the Utah Legislature has yet to embrace the measure.[36]

    In 2022, Mendenhall also partnered with the Salt Lake City School District to provide free Hive Passes to city schoolchildren and teachers, encouraging their use of public transportation and reducing the burden on parents.[37]

    The Mendenhall Administration has expanded public transit options by opening a new TRAX station and bus shelters.[38] Two new bus routes have been launched, along with an on-demand service in partnership with UTA to help West side residents access the city's public transit system.[39]

    Mendenhall has followed-through on her campaign pledge to plant 1,000 new trees on Salt Lake City's West side each year of her term.[40] Each tree is expected to generate half a million pounds of oxygen and remove 20,000 pounds of pollution from the air each year. The program is intended to reduce a significant disparity in the urban canopy between the city's East and West sides, the latter of which historically measures higher levels of air pollution.[41]

    LGBTQ+ equality

    In 2021, Mendenhall and the city council extended the city government’s health insurance policy to cover gender-affirming surgeries for workers and their covered family members. The decision earned praise from Equality Utah executive Director Troy Williams, who told the Salt Lake Tribune: “Mayor Mendenhall and the Salt Lake City Council have time and again demonstrated unwavering love and support to the LGBTQ community. They are sending a powerful message to their transgender employees that they are loved and accepted as their full, authentic selves.”[42]

    In 2019, Salt Lake City received a score of 66 points on the Human Rights Campaign's annual Municipal Equality Index. In 2020, the score improved to 75. The city earned a 100-point score for the first time in 2021 and again in 2022.[43] [44] [45]

    Mendenhall has been outspoken on behalf of the state's LGBTQ+ residents. In March 2022, after the Utah Legislature overrode the governor's veto of a bill banning transgender children from playing school sports, Mendenhall wrote: "Is this who we are as a state? I’m at a loss. This is decidedly not 'The Utah Way' and I’m ashamed at the way some of our state’s leaders are playing politics with children’s lives. To Utah’s transgender kids: I’m sorry this is happening to you and some of our leaders seem intent on going out of their way to persecute and punish you just for being who you are. They do not speak for all of us. You are perfect as you are. You are loved. I stand with you."[46]

    On the eve of the 2023 Utah Pride Festival, the Utah Pride Center recognized Mendenhall with its inaugural Solomon Award for her ally ship of the state’s LGBTQ+ residents.[47] "It means a lot to me because I feel like there’s not enough I can do to be an ally," Mendenhall said. "I've tried to show up and bring the city to show up in more ways than we have before."[48]

    2020 terrorist threat

    In April 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a police affidavit, Mendenhall was threatened by a man who "stated the mayor needs to open up the city. If she doesn’t, she’ll be forcibly removed from office. There’s a protest tomorrow and if things don’t change, a civil war is coming, and the police can’t stop me." The man was arrested and booked for making a terroristic threat and electronic communication harassment.[49]

    Ryan Outlaw incident

    Amidst an ongoing investigation into the death of Ryan Outlaw, an African-American man wounded in a stabbing denied medical aid by police officers, Mayor Mendenhall defended the two officers being investigated, stating her belief that "our officers we believe did as they were trained."[50] Asked if she wanted officers to be "able and willing" to provide first aid, Mendenhall responded “I want our officers to be safe, that’s their job.” [51]

    Homelessness

    Homelessness has emerged as a major issue throughout Mendenhall's term. Arguing that state authorities had unfairly concentrated the responsibility of dealing with the homeless population on Salt Lake City, Mayor Mendenhall reversed her prior support for an expansion of homeless shelters in September 2021 and supported the institution of a citywide ban on the construction of further shelters in October 2021, which would be extended to last until May 2023.[52]

    Mendenhall has supported a policy of "abatements," police raids to scatter encampments of the homeless. In an Instagram question session in April 2023, Mendenhall estimated the annual cost of the policy as being over four million dollars, 2.2 million of which being police overtime.[53] 50 such abatements took place in 2021 alone.[54] Critics, including former Mayor Rocky Anderson, have argued for a sanctioned central campground; in an interview with Fox13, Mendenhall declared her opposition to the proposal, stating "heck no...Salt Lake City is not doing a designated camping area," and arguing that the proposal was a "genie" that the city could not afford.[55] In September 2023, Mendenhall reversed her position and alongside state officials announced that they would authorize a sanctioned camp.

    The Utah (Pantages) Theater Sale and Demolition Controversy

    The Utah Theater, once known as the Pantages Theater, was a more than century old performing arts hall located on Main Street in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City. Despite its former majesty, the theater had fallen into disrepair and stood vacant. The theater was purchased by the Salt Lake City Redevelopment Agency under the leadership of then Mayor Ralph Becker, with the promise it would be saved and restored to its former glory.[56]

    While the estimated value of the theater was around $20 million,[57] it was eventually handed over to the developer Hines for free,[58] even after it was discovered that they had made questionable donations to Mendenhall's mayoral campaign.[59] Despite community efforts to save the theater,[60] including an approved petition to add the site to the National Register of Historic Places,[61] those efforts fell on deaf ears as Mendenhall and the City Council ignored pleas by the public and lingering legal questions about the agreement with the developer; and allowed it to be demolished.[62]

    Stadium subsidy

    In 2024, Mendenhall supported a proposal to spend $1 billion of taxpayers money on building a stadium for a potential NHL expansion team.[63]

    2023 mayoral campaign

    See also: 2023 Salt Lake City mayoral election. On April 12, 2023, Mendenhall announced her candidacy for re-election in a video to supporters, declaring "this is a special time for Salt Lake City. Like all great cities, we're growing. We're changing. Our culture, our nightlife, our high-tech job market. These last few years have tested us, covered the earthquakes, the inland hurricane, but we've emerged stronger than ever. Salt Lakers are resilient, creative, and innovative, and we've worked hard to earn real results, to make real progress."[64]

    Mendenhall's announcement included a long list of endorsements, including former U.S. Representative Ben McAdams, Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson, two state senators and five state representatives, the chairs of 14 community councils, the unions representing the city's police officers and firefighters, as well as the Utah AFL-CIO, Central Utah Federation of Labor, AFSCME Local 1004, Operating Engineers Local 3, Laborers Local 295, Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Local 1, and the American Federation of Teachers-Utah.[65]

    She followed up the video with a kickoff event at The Neighborhood Hive in the city's Sugar House neighborhood on April 15, 2023. "Our city isn't perfect, but it is great," Mendenhall told supporters. "Our growth and the relentless commitment of the people who have invested their hearts into this city are fueling truly amazing opportunities." Mendenhall was introduced by civil rights leader Rev. France Davis of Calvary Baptist Church.[66]

    Mendenhall ran against former mayor and senator/presidential candidate Rocky Anderson[67] and local activist and community organizer Michael (Patton) Valentine. The election will be the first in the city's history to utilize ranked choice voting for a mayoral election.[68]

    Mendenhall was reelected winning fifty-eight percent of the vote in the first round.[69]

    Fundraising

    In a campaign finance report filed on February 15, 2023 — the first since Anderson announced his candidacy, Mendenhall reported raising $200,811, spending $88,073, and having $250,972 in cash on hand. Anderson reported raising $126,461, spending $76,781, and having $49,780 in cash on hand.[70] Michael (Patton) Valentine reported raising $110, spending $93.82, and having $16.18 on hand.

    In a campaign finance report filed on July 3, 2023, Mendenhall reported raising $212,195, spending $101,780, and having $360,003 in cash on hand. Her campaign reported receiving 603 total contributions during the period from 504 individual donors. Anderson reported raising $101,780 from over 400 individual donors, spending $60,927, and having $90,632 in cash on hand.[71] Valentine reported raising $115, spending $98.65, and has $32.53 in cash on hand.

    Awards

    Personal life

    It was reported in November 2014 that Erin Mendenhall and fellow council member Kyle LaMalfa were having an extramarital affair.[79] She and LaMalfa disclosed their relationship to City Attorney Margaret Plane, who stated there were no legal or ethical problems.[80] She and LaMalfa later married. LaMalfa is currently the director of data science for Vive Financial.[81]

    She lives in the city's East Liberty Park neighborhood with their daughter, Milå, and Mendenhall's sons, Cash and Everett.[82]

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: Our Campaigns - Salt Lake City Council District 5 Race - Nov 05, 2013.
    2. https://kutv.com/news/local/salt-lake-councilwoman-appears-headed-for-win-in-mayor-race Salt Lake councilwoman appears headed for win in mayor race
    3. Web site: Erin Mendenhall sworn in as Salt Lake City's 36th mayor.
    4. Web site: Erin Mendenhall, longtime air quality advocate, says it's time for Salt Lake City's mayor to have 'grassroots' City Hall experience. The Salt Lake Tribune. en-US. November 7, 2019.
    5. Web site: McKellar . Katie . 2019-10-13 . Erin Mendenhall: A lifelong war with pollution pushed her to run for Salt Lake mayor . 2023-05-24 . Deseret News . en.
    6. Web site: Breathe Utah - Erin Mendenhall. Breathe Utah. en-gb. November 7, 2019.
    7. Web site: 2013-11-06 . News roundup .
    8. News: Maffly . Brian . 2014-05-23 . Salt Lake City councilwoman joins Utah Air Quality Board . Salt Lake Tribune . 2023-05-24.
    9. Web site: Air Quality Board . 2023-05-24 . Utah Department of Environmental Quality. March 30, 2018 .
    10. Web site: Smart . Christopher . 2015-12-09 . SLC Council slashes campaign contribution limits . The Salt Lake Tribune . en-US.
    11. Web site: Dark . Stephen . 2017-07-14 . Checking Inns . 2023-06-16 . Salt Lake City Weekly . en.
    12. Web site: Wharton ahead in Salt Lake City's hot District 3 race; Fowler, incumbents coast to victories . 2023-06-14 . The Salt Lake Tribune . en-US.
    13. Web site: McKellar. Katie. 2017-11-22. Salt Lake City Council OKs ordinance setting homeless center capacity . 2023-08-09 . Deseret News . en-US.
    14. Web site: Davidson . Lee . 2018-03-02 . Utah Legislature passes bill to create inland port in northwestern Salt Lake Valley . 2023-06-16 . The Salt Lake Tribune . en-US.
    15. News: Nixon . Nicole . 2018-07-12 . 'Where's The Mayor?' Biskupski Pulls Out Of Inland Port Negotiations . KUER .
    16. News: Winslow . Ben . 2018-07-12 . Negotiations under way again over inland port, without SLC's mayor . FOX13 .
    17. News: McKellar . Katie . 2018-07-18 . Utah Legislature passes 'not perfect' inland port bill backed by Salt Lake Council, fought by mayor . Deseret News .
    18. Web site: 2018-07-17 . Tribune editorial: Council, governor come up with a better Inland Port bill . 2023-06-16 . The Salt Lake Tribune . en-US.
    19. Web site: 'I know how to lead our city': Salt Lake City Councilwoman Erin Mendenhall announces her bid to run for mayor . 2023-06-26 . The Salt Lake Tribune . en-US.
    20. News: Nixon . Nicole . 2019-04-12 . Joining Crowded Field, SLC Councilwoman Erin Mendenhall Launches Campaign For Mayor . KUER .
    21. Web site: New poll shows tightening race for Salt Lake City mayor with Jim Dabakis and Luz Escamilla leading . 2023-06-26 . The Salt Lake Tribune . en-US.
    22. Web site: Erin Mendenhall: Time for a mayor with more experience in City Hall than Capitol Hill . 2023-06-26 . The Salt Lake Tribune . en-US.
    23. Web site: Mayoral candidate Erin Mendenhall unveils plans to expand Salt Lake City's affordable housing . 2023-06-26 . The Salt Lake Tribune . en-US.
    24. Web site: Salt Lake mayoral candidate Erin Mendenhall outlines plans for creating a tech ecosystem in the capital city . 2023-06-26 . The Salt Lake Tribune . en-US.
    25. Web site: Salt Lake City mayoral candidate Erin Mendenhall pledges to plant 1,000 new trees on west side every year, if elected . 2023-06-26 . The Salt Lake Tribune . en-US.
    26. Web site: Luz Escamilla concedes in Salt Lake City mayor's race. Erin Mendenhall will be the city's next leader. . November 7, 2019 . The Salt Lake Tribune . en-US.
    27. News: Winslow . Ben . 2020-01-06 . Erin Mendenhall sworn in as Salt Lake City mayor, issues new air quality directive . FOX13 .
    28. News: Winslow . Ben . 2021-10-06 . Rocky Mountain Power says it won't be on 100% renewable energy by 2030 . FOX13 .
    29. Web site: Newly Created Community Renewable Energy Agency Achieves Milestones . 2023-07-14 . www.slc.gov . en-US.
    30. News: Mesch . Shelley . 2021-12-10 . Solar farm set to provide 80% of energy used by City of Salt Lake . The Salt Lake Tribune .
    31. Web site: 2021-12-15 . Salt Lake City RDA Passes Aggressive Air Pollution Reduction Policy for new RDA-funded Buildings! . 2023-07-14 . slcGreen Blog . en.
    32. News: 2023-01-24 . Read SLC Mayor Erin Mendenhall's full State of the City address . The Salt Lake Tribune .
    33. News: Williams . Carter . 2023-04-17 . Utah program targets commercial lawn care emissions, offers discounts for electric gear . KSL.com .
    34. News: Bojórquez . Kim . 2022-01-26 . All UTA fares are free for month of February in effort to improve Utah's air quality . The Salt Lake Tribune .
    35. News: Winslow . Ben . 2022-04-06 . 'Free Fare February' was a hit and now some want to explore 'Free Fare Forever' . FOX13 .
    36. News: Woodruff . Daniel . 2023-02-01 . Gov. Cox pushes for free fares even as legislative leaders aren't enthusiastic . KUTV2 .
    37. News: Williams . Carter . 2022-08-11 . 25K transit passes going to Salt Lake students, teachers in 'historic commitment' . KSL.com .
    38. News: Apgar . Blake . 2022-07-27 . There's a new TRAX station. See where you now can hop on and off the train. . The Salt Lake Tribune .
    39. News: Williams . Carter . 2023-01-13 . UTA's west-side Salt Lake microtransit service sees 930% growth in year since launch . KSL.com .
    40. News: Canham . Matt . 2021-11-17 . Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall fulfills campaign promise, plants 1,000th tree on west side . The Salt Lake Tribune .
    41. News: Treidler . Leah . 2022-06-14 . Building an urban forest should ease the inequities of Salt Lake City's heat island effect . KUER .
    42. News: Tabin . Sara . 2021-06-04 . Salt Lake City will offer gender-affirming surgery to city workers . The Salt Lake Tribune .
    43. Web site: Salt Lake City, Utah, Municipal Equality Index 2020 Scorecard . Human Rights Campaign.
    44. Web site: 2021-12-20 . SLC shows major improvement, hits top Municipal Equality Index score for inclusivity towards LGBTQ+ . 2023-07-15 . ABC4 Utah . en-US.
    45. News: Staff . 2022-12-15 . Salt Lake City gets 100 ranking for LGBTQ equality . Q Salt Lake .
    46. Web site: Mendenhall . Erin . 2022-03-25 . @SLCmayor on Twitter: Is this who we are as a state? I'm at a loss. This is decidedly not "The Utah Way" and I'm ashamed at the way some of our state's leaders are playing politics with children's lives. .
    47. Web site: Mendenhall . Erin . 2023-06-01 . @SLCmayor on Twitter: I'm deeply honored to receive the inaugural Solomon Award from @UtahPrideCenter. Beano Solomon's accomplishments span the decades and her commitment to the LGBTQ+ community in Utah is a perfect example of what's possible when we work together. .
    48. News: Winslow . Ben . 2023-06-01 . Pride month kicks off in Utah . FOX13 .
    49. Web site: Man threatened Salt Lake City mayor over COVID-19 restrictions, police say. DeseretNews. Pat. Reavy. April 20, 2020. en-US. April 25, 2020.
    50. Web site: Herbets. Adam. April 4, 2023 . 'Insufficient evidence' against officers who refused first aid to stabbing victim . July 3, 2023 . FOX13.
    51. Web site: Herbets. Adam. December 22, 2022 . These officers are under investigation, but Salt Lake City can't get its story straight. August 10, 2023 . FOX13.
    52. Web site: Apgar. Blake. May 5, 2023 . SLC sets new rules for placing homeless shelters. Could it politicize the process? . July 3, 2023 . Salt Lake Tribune.
    53. slcmayor. CrbB0lVghVX. 24 April 2023. Homelessness Q&A . 3 July 2023.
    54. Web site: Taxpayers spent over half a million dollars to clean homeless encampments in 2021. Salt Lake Tribune. Ben. DeSoto. July 21, 2021. en-US. July 3, 2023.
    55. Web site: Canham. Matt. November 26, 2021 . Should Utah give homeless people a place to camp? Here are arguments for and against. . July 3, 2023 . FOX13.
    56. Web site: Capital looks to activate mothballed Utah Theater .
    57. Web site: Saving Utah's Pantages Theater from Demolition and Corruption . July 29, 2023 .
    58. Web site: It's done. Salt Lake City closes its sale of the Utah Theater, makes way for new skyscraper .
    59. Web site: Developer of old Utah Theatre building made questionable donations in SLC mayoral race - the Utah Investigative Journalism Project . December 2020 .
    60. Web site: In plot twist, preservationists sue Salt Lake City to save the Utah Theater .
    61. Web site: The Utah Pantages Theater may get national landmark status. Will it help? . September 9, 2021 .
    62. Web site: The Aftermath of Hasty Destruction of Pantages Theater on Downtown Salt Lake Main Street . June 24, 2023 .
    63. Web site: 2024 . Mayor Mendenhall calls $1B taxpayer-funded NHL proposal 'truly transformative' for Salt Lake . The Salt Lake Tribune . en-US.
    64. News: Winslow . Ben . 2023-04-12 . Mendenhall announces re-election bid for SLC mayor . FOX13 .
    65. Web site: 2023-04-12 . @bikelakecity on Twitter: Can we talk about how Mayor Mendenhall's reelection announcement included a truly bananas list of endorsements? .
    66. News: Wixom . Cassidy . 2023-04-15 . Mayor Mendenhall kicks off reelection campaign hoping to move city 'forward together' .
    67. Web site: Tung Tan . Chin . April 12, 2023 . Erin Mendenhall announces re-election campaign for Salt Lake City mayor . July 3, 2023 . ABC4.
    68. Web site: Parihar . Shiv . May 17, 2023 . Rocky's Bold Leadership . July 3, 2023 . Salt Lake City Weekly.
    69. Web site: Incumbent Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall wins bid for second term. AP News. November 22, 2023. November 23, 2023.
    70. News: Apgar . Blake . 2023-04-30 . Erin Mendenhall, Rocky Anderson amassing cash for costly SLC mayoral race . The Salt Lake Tribune .
    71. News: Apgar . Blake . 2023-07-15 . Mendenhall outpaces Anderson in fundraising as battle brews for SLC mayor . The Salt Lake Tribune .
    72. Web site: Swanson . Heidi . 2020-08-03 . Mayor Erin Mendenhall Selected as 2020 ESA Regional Policy Award Winner .
    73. Web site: 2021-08-26 . Annual BioUtah Awards .
    74. Web site: Staff . City Weekly . Best of Utah 2021 . 2023-06-14 . Salt Lake City Weekly . en.
    75. Web site: 2022-06-21 . CAP Utah 2022 Excellence in Community Action Awards .
    76. Web site: Staff . City Weekly . The BEST restaurants, bars, entertainment, nightlife, dishes, drinks, media, and politics in Utah. 2022 . 2023-06-14 . Salt Lake City Weekly . en.
    77. Web site: UCAIR . 2023-05-30 . At the 8th Annual UCAIR Summit, we were honored to award slcmayor as UCAIR Person of the Year .
    78. Web site: 2023-06-01 . I'm deeply honored to receive the inaugural Solomon Award from UtahPrideCenter. Beano Solomon's accomplishments span the decades and her commitment to the LGBTQ+ community in Utah is a perfect example of what's possible when we work together. .
    79. Web site: Sources Confirm That Two SLC Council Members Involved in Affair .
    80. Christopher Smart (28 November 2014). Romantic relationship between Salt Lake City Council members raises concerns
    81. Web site: LaMalfa . Kyle . Kyle LaMalfa .
    82. Web site: Mayor Erin Mendenhall . 2023-06-14 . www.slc.gov . en-US.