Ivins City is holding elections soon. There are four candidates for two positions on the City Council. You will be asked to vote for up to two candidates of your choosing.
This website is intended to provide you with information about myself, Wayne Pennington, one of the candidates for City Council. In the pages linked above, you will first find a “highlights” section briefly describing my views on some subjects and background. You will also find an “About Wayne” section, which provides more insight into my personal history and general thoughts for the City of Ivins. Additional “posts” are often added on a number of subjects of interest to Ivins residents. These include Water, Growth, Financial, and other matters.
This site is not intended to be flashy, but informative. My views on subjects are explained thoroughly, but short summaries are also provided for most items. I hope you read them and compare them with views expressed by other candidates.
There are several ways to learn about candidates. One way is to host a “cottage meeting” for several of your neighbors, and invite a candidate to attend. I enjoy meeting Ivins residents in these forums, and hope you will invite me. Feel free to use the contact form below to let me know of your interest (or email me at wayne4ivins (at) gmail.com).
The introduction to the video, written by 435 Podcast host, Robert MacFarlane: “Wayne Pennington brings a scientist’s precision to the Ivins City Council race, drawing on his extraordinary career studying earthquakes from Pakistan to Michigan. As a former university dean and president of major scientific organizations, his analytical approach to local issues offers a refreshing alternative to politics-as-usual.
The conversation reveals how Pennington’s expertise became unexpectedly valuable when Ivins faced a controversial reservoir proposal. When city officials approved the Dry Wash Reservoir without fully understanding technical reports, Pennington volunteered his knowledge, identifying serious flaws including potential contamination risks and structural concerns. His intervention ultimately contributed to the project being tabled after outside experts confirmed his assessment that the reservoir wasn’t necessary for meeting water demands. This experience crystallizes Pennington’s campaign philosophy: details matter in local government. Whether discussing affordable housing, tax policy, or land use decisions, he demonstrates remarkable fluency with complex issues while remaining focused on practical solutions. He articulates a thoughtful balance between maintaining Ivins’ unique character and accommodating necessary growth, questioning state interference in local decision-making and advocating for more strategic coordination with entities like SITLA.
Particularly illuminating is Pennington’s explanation of Ivins’ proposed tax adjustment, which he frames not as an increase but as a restoration of the city’s purchasing power to pre-inflation levels. He notes that despite rising costs for essential services, the typical home’s contribution to city coffers has remained unchanged for 15 years. For voters concerned about thoughtful, evidence-based governance, Pennington offers both scientific credentials and genuine appreciation for Southern Utah’s quality of life. His candidacy represents an opportunity to bring technical expertise to a city council facing increasingly complex challenges requiring more than political instinct to solve.”
You can also drop your ballot in any ballot drop box or at a polling place until
polls close at 8p.m. on Election Day.
If you plan to be away from your Ivins address when ballots are mailed,
make sure you have gone to vote.utah.gov to change your address!
Ballots will not be forwarded!
How to improve Ivins’ Zoning and Land Use Most people want to see young families move into Ivins, but it is often too expensive for them to do so. As a result, Ivins is rapidly becoming a place where only retirees can live. The high cost of housing here is partly due to the high…
With the interest in Ivins City’s tax increase on the table, it is worth our collective time to ensure that we all understand the facts of property taxes in the State of Utah. So here are a few items that often cause confusion. Warning: it gets more complicated as you go on; I hope you…
I have a deep history regarding water issues for Ivins City; most of this involved the proposal for a reuse water reservoir in Dry Wash, containing partially processed wastewater (not fresh water or fully purified water), at a location equivalent to roughly 800 W. The design called for a reservoir that occupied 66 acres when…
Zoning should be governed by the Land-Use Plan, which needs to be updated to reflect contemporary issues. New “affordable” housing should be planned in conjunction with small commercial districts such that it is near local grocery and other stores, public transportation, and parks, requiring more coordination among the City and developers (and SITLA/UTLA) than currently takes place. That planning must take place with considerable input from residents, fully informed of tradeoffs between amenities and cost.
First, a summary: Ivins has not had a tax increase in dollar amount since 2010 or earlier. Its taxing rate (the percentage value of a residence) has indeed gone down in that time, as housing values have risen. (See Note 1.) In the meantime, inflation has devalued the buying power of that dollar amount by…
This page will be updated soon. Check back occasionally, or follow me on Nextdoor or FB for notifications of updates.
Fill out the contact form below if you would like to help with Wayne’s campaign, host a cottage meeting, or just send him a message: