After a successful campaign saw him elected to the Tooele County Commission, Grantsville City Councilman Tom Tripp participated in his final City Council meeting Wednesday night.
While the majority of the meeting was spent finding a replacement for his council seat — long-time resident Jeff Hitchens was selected — Tripp’s colleagues took time to commend him for his public service.
During the city council’s deliberations on Tripp’s replacement, City Councilman Scott Stice had effusive praise for Tripp.
“These are huge shoes to fill,” Stice said. “ … I honestly believe he’s the best city councilperson Grantsville City’s ever had.”
For City Councilwoman Krista Sparks, Tripp was integral in her involvement in politics.
“He’s been a huge asset to Grantsville and to myself,” Sparks said. “… He encouraged me to run in the first place. So, I appreciate all he’s done. So, thank you, Tom.”
Tripp was elected to the City Council in 2007 and served until an unsuccessful reelection bid in 2011 — by only 17 votes. He was appointed to fill a City Council vacancy in 2012, then re-elected in 2013 and 2017.
“I don’t have very many regrets,” Tripp said. “And the regrets I do have are the regrets of youth. I made some votes early on that I probably would have voted the other way if I had the benefit of experience.”
Tripp cited the various successes and pitfalls of serving on the City Council, including the recovery from the budget crunch in 2009, settling the lawsuit with Tooele City and building the city’s new justice center. He said he had respect for all of the past and present city councilmembers he served with over the years.
“I think when we’ve had hard times people have risen to the occasion,” Tripp said.
While he won’t be on the City Council anymore, Tripp laid out future achievements for the city council, such as completing a revision of its general plan, making improvements to infrastructure, and creating splash pads, ball fields and courts for the city’s youth.
Grantsville City Mayor Brent Marshall said he’s sure Tripp will dedicate himself to the challenges of being a county commissioner.
“Tom brought to the council many quality elements,” Marshall said. “Those that I admire the most are honesty, and decisions that were based on what was best for our community, not the next election. His loyalty was to the community, his decisions were fact-based, not emotionally-based.”
Marshall also cited Tripp’s ability to find solutions to problems and keep his eyes on the future.
“He helped us make difficult decisions that have made Grantsville a better place to live,” Marshall said. “We’ve been fortunate to have him on our council and I’m glad he will be able to share his experience and problem-solving skills with all of Tooele County.”