Voters Guide for District 3

Oct 07, 2025 02:59PM ● By City Journals Editorial Staff

Welcome to the City Journals Voters Guide!

2025's General Election Day is on Nov. 4. (See other important dates and SLCounty information in our Voting Information Overview page at the Valley Journals here.)

In preparation, we surveyed our readers (like you!) to ask which local topics would determine important voting decisions for local races. We then asked your local candidates those reader-suggested questions. Candidates were asked to limit their answers to 200 words.These are their answers:

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In Sandy, Iva Williams and Kris Nicholl are running for District 3.

Q: Do you believe current property tax revenue is being used effectively? How so?

Iva Williams: In Sandy, yes. I believe our property taxes are being used effectively—especially in funding essential services like police and fire. The new firehouse was a much-needed addition to our community. I also believe most residents support services like our twice-yearly bulk collection program. As a resident myself, I'm proud to contribute taxes that support our recreation, parks, and open spaces. These services enhance our quality of life and help build a vibrant, connected community.

Kris Nicholl: There are areas where tax dollars are not being spent as effectively as they should be. While some spending is essential, I see redundancy in parts of the budget and expenses that do not directly benefit residents like upgraded flights, extra snacks, or paper periodicals. Taxpayer dollars should be treated with the same care that families use in their own household budgets: focusing on needs, not wants. | There are always ways to cut unnecessary costs without sacrificing employee pay or the quality of life for residents. By prioritizing core services like public safety, roads, parks, and clean water, and trimming back on less essential spending, Sandy can stretch every tax dollar further and keep property taxes under control.

Q: Thinking about fiscal responsibility, what values should your local budget reflect? How do you plan to balance those values?

Iva Williams: I believe a city’s budget should reflect the values of community, equity, and long-term sustainability. Public dollars should be used to uplift and protect every member of our community, not just today but with the future in mind. I would prioritize needs like public safety, infrastructure, affordable housing, and environmental stewardship—while ensuring community voices guide where and how we invest. Balancing the budget requires listening, transparency, and a clear vision for where we’re going.

Kris Nicholl: Our city budget should reflect the same values families use at their own kitchen tables: responsibility, prudence, and prioritizing needs over wants. Taxpayer dollars should go first to core services, public safety, roads, clean water, and parks—that directly impact residents’ daily lives. | At the same time, we need to identify and cut redundant or unnecessary spending, such as perks or extras that do not improve residents’ quality of life. By eliminating waste, we can protect employee pay, maintain essential services, and keep Sandy affordable without constant tax increases. | Balancing these values means asking tough questions, being transparent about tradeoffs, and always remembering that every tax dollar comes from a family, a homeowner, or a business that worked hard to earn it. Fiscal discipline, paired with common-sense priorities, is the best way to serve our community.

Q: Many residents reported concern for government oversight and transparency. What systems would you support to hold local officials accountable when transparency standards aren't met?

Iva Williams: I fully support Sunshine Laws, open meeting requirements, and public access to records. I also believe in independent ethics boards or commissions that have real authority to investigate and hold officials accountable when transparency is compromised. Clear, enforced standards are essential to maintaining public trust.

Kris Nicholl: Transparency is not optional—it is the foundation of public trust. Sandy already strives to make every bit of information available to taxpayers, and I believe that commitment must be strengthened. I would support systems that ensure residents have easy, timely access to budgets, contracts, and meeting records. | If transparency standards are not met, there must be clear accountability. That means regular audits, open data portals that show how tax dollars are being spent, and strict reporting requirements for elected officials. It also means setting policies where violations of transparency are addressed swiftly and publicly, not quietly. | Residents should never have to dig for information about their government, it should be openly available and easy to access. When officials know their decisions are visible to the people they serve, accountability naturally follows.

Q: What is your stance on local government cooperation with ICE?

Iva Williams: I oppose local police being used to enforce partisan federal immigration priorities. Our local resources should focus on protecting our communities, not advancing divisive policies. Trust between law enforcement and the community is essential to public safety.

Kris Nicholl: Local governments are not legally required to assist ICE, and I am not aware of any Sandy City policy that mandates our offices to do so. My focus is on ensuring that our city resources are directed toward local priorities, public safety, infrastructure, parks, and essential services for residents. | I believe in following the law as it applies to cities, but I do not support using local tax dollars to expand beyond our legal responsibility. Our police and city employees should remain focused on protecting our community, keeping neighborhoods safe, and providing the services residents expect from their local government.

Q: How will your stances on specific issues impact Sandy and the community?

Iva Williams: I believe Sandy’s top priorities should be public safety and environmental stewardship. Ensuring our police and fire departments are well-supported keeps our community safe and our first responders engaged and valued. My focus on preserving our natural resources—especially water, open space, and land—will shape how we allow new development. Sandy can grow while still protecting what makes it special by rewarding responsible, community-aligned development.

Kris Nicholl: My approach to every issue is rooted in open, honest communication with residents and addressing challenges head on. Sandy deserves leaders who do not avoid tough conversations but instead engage with the community directly and transparently. | By being clear about my stances whether on fiscal responsibility, public safety, transportation, or protecting our neighborhoods residents know exactly where I stand and how I will represent them. This builds trust and ensures that decisions are made with the community, not behind closed doors. | The impact on Sandy is simple: stronger accountability, smarter use of resources, and policies that reflect the values of the people who live here. When residents can count on their leaders to be straightforward and accessible, the entire community benefits.

Q: What is your stance on the proposed canyon gondola?

Iva Williams: I'm opposed. As an avid skier who spends a lot of time in Little Cottonwood Canyon, I see firsthand the real transportation challenges we face. But I’m not convinced the proposed gondola will solve them. It comes with a massive price tag and there’s no guarantee it will meaningfully reduce traffic or improve canyon access. We need solutions that are data-driven, cost-effective, and environmentally responsible. The gondola simply doesn't meet that standard.

Kris Nicholl: I am opposed to the gondola. I prefer the phase approach laid out in phase one. More specifically, the common-sense solutions like increased bus service, tolling and heavy parking restrictions.

Q: How will you prioritize and protect proper historic restoration of existing structures?

Iva Williams: I love this question! Historic buildings are part of what gives Sandy its unique character and charm. They should absolutely be protected and thoughtfully restored. I strongly support the work of the Historic Preservation Committee and would advocate for continued investment in preserving these structures, ensuring they remain vibrant parts of our city’s future.

Kris Nicholl: In Sandy, historic preservation is primarily the choice of property owners, only they can decide whether to place their buildings on the Historic Registry. The city can only direct and protect structures it owns. The oldest of those is the current Parks and Recreation headquarters, a 100-year-old building on the National Register of Historic Places. | While I value history and the stories these structures tell, we also need to be realistic. The Parks and Rec building has significant issues, and restoring it would require extensive, costly work. In my view, it has reached the end of its life and safe usefulness. Rather than putting millions of taxpayer dollars into a building that no longer serves all residents well, I believe the city should honor its history while moving forward with facilities that are safe, functional, and fiscally responsible. | Historic preservation should be supported where it is practical and sustainable, but it should never come at the expense of our community’s needs or financial health.

Q: One main succinct reason/goal for why you are running for this election:

Iva Williams: I'm running for Sandy City Council because this is the most direct and meaningful way I can serve my community. I know I can make a real difference by focusing locally and bringing thoughtful, accountable leadership to the issues that affect us every day.

Kris Nicholl: Reduce Residential Speeding | Keeping neighborhoods safe is a top priority. I support a cost-effective, multi-faceted approach, combining effective enforcement, innovative technology, smarter road design, and one-time calming measures like signage and lane striping. These strategies improve safety, avoid recurring costs, and deliver actual results without adding long-term burdens on taxpayers.

Q: Background (residents have asked: What is your relevant educational/job experience? What previous government positions or offices have you held? How long have you been on the council?):

Iva Williams: I'm brand new to serving in local government. I've held multiple positions on school boards, PTAs, and other volunteer positions. I've been a community organizer and worked closely with local governments to bring the issues of communities forward and have policy updated to meet the needs of those communities. My current role in corporate America is one that requires me to understand complex issues, work with stakeholders to identify core challenges, then design and deploy the solutions. I work every day to solve problems and I'm excited to bring my experience and energy to serving Sandy.

Kris Nicholl: Sandy is YOUR city. You raise your family; run your business; enjoy the beauty of Wasatch and I will protect your City. I am Kris Nicholl: District 3 City Council. | A native of Willow Creek, now living in beautiful Granite Park, Kris Nicholl is a lifelong resident of Sandy. Kris and her husband, a retired Fire Chief, have two children: a son, a U.S. Army Officer; and a daughter starting at the University of Utah this fall. | Kris is a former Sandy City Council Member. As such, she modernized Sandy’s outdated "animal control" program and turned it into, without raising costs to residents, the current Animal Services Department, no-kill animal shelter. Kris led the Council and the various stakeholders through a complicated process creating the Sensitive Area Overlay Zone, a vital Sandy policy that protects our foothills from overdevelopment while preserving the gorgeous Sandy east bench. After watching the city struggle the last few years and impose massive tax increases and fearing that Sandy’s unique character is beginning to fade, Kris decided to run for Council. | Recently retired and the kids off to their adventures, Kris decided to again step forward and apply her previous experience at a time when Sandy needs experienced leaders. | Kris’s pledge: • Listen to your ideas and concerns and together determine our future. • Use Sandy’s resources to the benefit of its residents. • Run the City, so you can focus on your family and your life. Kris Nicholl: Protect what we all love about Sandy.

Q: How can residents stay informed about your campaign?

Iva Williams: www.ElectIvaWilliams.com

Kris Nicholl: https://www.votekrisnicholl.com/