Cache County Council members Paul R. Borup (left) and Gordon A. Zilles (right) have declined to run for re-election in 2022, leaving their seats on the county panel open for new political hopefuls.
CACHE COUNTY – Regardless of the outcome of balloting in the November election, there will be at least two new faces on the Cache County Council next year.
Paul R. Borup, who is vice chair of the council, has declined to run for re-election. He will be replaced by Sandi Goodlander, who is running unopposed for the Logan 3 seat on the county panel.
“I’ve always been a fan of term limits,” Borup explains, “and figured that I should lead by example. So I was never planning to run for a second term.”
Borup is a native of Logan and a graduate of Utah State University with a degree in economics. He was elected to the county council in 2018, where his areas of concern have been improved coordination with the valley’s municipalities and proper management of county finances and resources.
“I hope that I was able to contribute to our community during my term,” he says. “Although, there might be quite a few folks who would beg to differ.
“Going forward, I would like to focus on my personal and professional goals. That’s really easy to do when there are fellow citizens – like Sandi Goodlander — who are willing to step up.”
A native of Idaho, Goodlander moved to Logan in 2009, where she and her husband Danny were co-owners of the Green Gorilla Car Wash on Main Street. She studied political science at Utah State University and served an internship in the office of former state Sen. Lyle Hillyard in 2015.
“I’m happy that Sandi has decided to run (for office),” Borup says. “She has been actively involved in the community for years.
“I believe that she will represent us well.”
Veteran councilman Gordon A. Zilles has also declined to run for re-election.
Now in his 18th year on the Cache County Council, Zilles has made no secret of his intent to retire after 2022. The race to replace Zilles in the Southeast seat on the council has turned into a three-way contest.
The first of those candidates is Kathryn Beus. She is a resident of Nibley and a graduate of Utah State University with dual degrees in Spanish and Law and Constitutional Studies.
She manages the Hyrum location of Cache Valley Bank.
Beus’ previous public service experience includes an internship in the office of former U.S. Rep Rob Bishop in Washington, D.C. as well as service on the Nibley Planning Commission and Nibley City Council.
Local businessman Ladd Kennington is also in the running to replace Zilles.
He is a resident of Providence and a graduate of the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at USU.
Kennington is a safety manager at LW Miller Transportation in Logan and has business experience in logistics and insurance management.
His previous political experience includes campaigning for U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney and Utah Rep. Casey Snider; and serving on both the state and county GOP central committees.
Kennington also campaigned unsuccessfully to become Cache County Executive in 2021, losing out in a GOP special election to David Zook.
Finally, former Nibley Mayor Shaun Dustin has also tossed his hat in to ring for the county’s southeast seat.
Dustin is a professional civil engineer who has led the Geotechnical and Structural Instrumentation Group at Campbell Scientific, Inc.
He served as mayor of Nibley from 2015 to 2021.
The field of candidates for Zilles’ seat will be winnowed in the June primary and settled in the November balloting.
“I’d love for every elective office to have regular turn-over,” Borup says, reflecting on his time in office. “But, unfortunately, that doesn’t happen too often.
“My personal opinion is that – while self-governance is hugely important –politics shouldn’t be the central focus of life,”