Len Arave for Mayor

2009-11-04T11:54:00.005-07:00

Thank You

to everyone who came out and supported me in yesterday's election. I look forward to serving you and working with the great people in the city of North Salt Lake.

Endorsements

2009-10-26T21:00:00.006-06:00

I am pleased to announce
new endorsements to my campaign:

Mayor Shanna Schaefermeyer

Former Mayoral Candidate
Lynn Ballard

I am asking you to join them in your continual support along with other key supporters in helping me to become the new Mayor of North Salt Lake City

Jim Dixon (Mayor NSL 1998-2001)
Jake Simmons (Mayor NSL 1986-1993)
Duane Richens (Former NSL Police Chief)
Brenda Mumford (Planning Commissioner, Former City Council Member)
Brian Muir (Former City Council Member)
Gene Madsen (Former City Council Member)
Beth Goodrich (Planning Commissioner)
Natalie Gordon (Former Planning Commissioner)
Robert Franson (NSL Trails Committee Chair)
Dr. Daniel Cottam (NSL Trails Committee)
Vicky Walker (NSL Trails Committee)
Glenn Bronson (Board of Adjustments)

PTA Meet the Candidates night

2009-10-12T20:59:00.001-06:00

Date: Wednesday, October 21st

Evening with the Candidate

2009-10-07T21:00:00.001-06:00

Date: Thursday, October 15th
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: Home of Jim and Karma Dixon in North Salt Lake

Evening with the Candidate

2009-10-07T11:34:00.001-06:00

Date: Wednesday, October 14th
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: Camelot Community Clubhouse

Response to Standard Examiner Article

2009-10-06T22:18:00.000-06:00

The Ogden Standard Examiner recently ran a story on a potential conflict of interest between the City of North Salt Lake and my current employer, Woodside Group. The press in this instance was only investigating information which had been provided them and I do not feel I was unfairly treated. I do not know who presented them this information, but I do feel it was presented to them in a slanted manner which made the charges sound much more insidious than they truly were. This is unfortunate in a mayoral race and is not the type of publicity we want for our great city. I have lived in this city for 16 years. Talk to the people who know me. I believe you will find them supporting me for mayor.

I have approached Councilwoman Watts Baskin to discuss her comments in the article and she has assured me that she was not questioning my character in this matter in any way. I have chosen to accept the explanation of her comments to me. In response, however, I feel it is important to present certain facts to clarify the situation. I would like to point out that I have reached out to the Mayor and other members of the council and they have assured me that they are unconcerned with the conflict of interest issue. Councilwoman Watts Baskin has requested more information before finalizing her decision and I am working with her to get her comfortable with the issue as well. Following are facts which I have presented these individuals to help them reach their decisions.

Woodside Group filed for Chapter 11 protection towards the end of 2008. Woodside Group is one of the largest home builders in the country and is the parent company for nearly 200 subsidiaries of which Woodside Homes Corporation (Woodside’s Utah division) is one. Woodside Group is currently run as a Debtor in Possession in the bankruptcy which means that current management continues to run the company, but has certain fiduciary responsibilities to its creditors. It came to the division's attention that the company may have been overcharged for certain fees charged by the City of North Salt Lake. The company felt their ability to collect refunds on these fees may be jeopardized due to expiration of the statute of limitations. Management at the division, after consultation with legal counsel, decided that in order to fulfill their fiduciary duty to creditors and protect the companies rights to these refunds, a lawsuit should be filed against the city. The law suit has been filed, although the city to date has not been served and the company is not currently pursuing the case. The company has approached the city to negotiate a settlement. My understanding is that the city is currently researching its position relative to this matter.

As to a conflict of interest I would point out the following.

1) Woodside has presented a plan of reorganizations to the Federal District Court in Riverside California. This plan, which has been voted on and approved by its creditors, vests all equity ownership of the company in its creditors. The current shareholders are at present conceding that they have no value in the company. The court has scheduled a confirmation hearing for October 15, 2009. The company currently estimates the plan of reorganization will be effective in early to mid November. Upon the effective date, my fiduciary duty to the company will end and I will be pursuing other opportunities. Therefore, I have no economic interest in this lawsuit.

2) Bankruptcy is a very litigious activity. In addition to suing North Salt Lake, Woodside is suing its shareholders and senior management for dividends the Company issued in 2006 and 2007. Shareholders and managers signed no personal guarantees for the company debt and feel these lawsuits are without merit. The disharmony this lawsuit has created between certain senior managers including myself and the creditors is such that my participation with the company after confirmation is, for all intents and purposes, impossible. I have no reason to be prejudiced against the city in this lawsuit.

3) My position with the company is as the Chief Financial Officer for Woodside Group LLC which is the holding company for various home building, mortgage and construction companies throughout the country. I oversee a company with hundreds of millions of dollars in revenues and assets, of which the Utah Division is a small but not insignificant part. Although a lawsuit of $500,000 is a significant sum for the city, a suit of this size would not typically, and in this case did not, come across my desk for approval. Likewise, such a suit would be handled and settled by the division and would not require my involvement. Therefore, I will not be involved in the law suit from the company’s perspective, even if negotiations were to occur in the next few weeks. If I were elected, any agreement would still require the approval of the city council which should and would insist on procedures to eliminate any potential conflict that they perceived.

I agree given the circumstances that the Standard Examiner acted properly in investigating this matter, although I disagree that the information was newsworthy. I obviously have the advantage of having significantly more information than was available to the paper. It is unfortunate that these types of articles are a part of politics. Unfounded attacks such as these do nothing but discourage people from being involved in our city. That being said, I will still work hard to be elected the next mayor of our great city.

Afternoon with the Candidates

2009-10-06T19:53:00.014-06:00

Date: Saturday, October 10th
Time: 2:00 PM
Location: Thyme and Seasons Market Place 3211 South Orchard Dr

About Woodside Group

2009-10-04T20:17:00.004-06:00

I have had several citizens ask about my relationship with the Woodside Group.

I joined Woodside in 1984 as its controller. Over the last 25 years, my position has evolved into the Chief Financial Officer and Woodside has evolved into one of the largest home building companies in the Country (Woodside was ranked the 20th largest home builder in Big Builder Magazine in 2008).
In my position with the company, I have negotiated lines of credit in excess of $750 million, long term notes of $375 million, oversaw risk management for the company and developed financial and accounting systems for a company that approached $1.5 billion in Revenue and $2 billion in Assets. Through most of its existence, Woodside has enjoyed a stellar reputation in home building and financial circles.

Woodside grew to have operations from coast to coast and operated in several states, but had a particularly large presence in California, Nevada, Arizona and Florida. In 2007, a significant down turn in home building turned into a disaster as the country was engulfed in financial melt down. Bear Sterns, Lehman Brothers, Wachovia Bank and Washington Mutual were just a few of the names that either failed or were taken over. The Federal Government pumped hundreds of billions of dollars into the financial sector to stabilize the economy. Home prices plummeted, financing dried up and home starts dropped by over 80%. Much of the pain was centered in these states where we had significant operations and Woodside was pushed into bankruptcy in late 2008. Our sin in management was not foreseeing this disaster that caught the world by surprise.

Before I decided to run for mayor, I did significant soul searching and thought a lot about how my position with Woodside would be perceived. I knew that I would face potential embarrassment and there would be whispering and rumors that are currently making the rounds. I had to make a decision as to who I wanted to be mayor. I felt my experiences made me uniquely qualified to be that person. Not just because I had significant and varied experience in a large company, but also because I understand all too well what havoc this economy can wreak. To date, our city and state have been largely spared the ravages of this economy and I pray this will continue to be the case. As I look into the horizon however, I do not believe we are out of the woods by any means. Utah was slow to see the boom in housing and there are still significant risks in the future. I have a desire to serve and in spite of concerns about potential embarrassment, upon encouragement from others, I decided I should run for the office of mayor of our great city.

I am currently still employed by Woodside and have agreed to stay with the company until it emerges from bankruptcy. The company has filed a plan of reorganization which has been voted on by the creditors. Current estimates are that Woodside will emerge from bankruptcy in early November at which time I will leave the company. Although retirement is an option, I have other opportunities which I am planning to pursue. Thank you for your consideration and I hope I can count on your vote.

Meet the Candidates on the Trail

2009-10-02T20:00:00.000-06:00

An opportunity to meet the candidates and talk about their election, trails issues, gather contact information, etc.

Date: Saturday, October 10th
Time: 8:00 - 10:00 AM
Location: Center Street Trail Head for the Legacy Parkway Trail

You're Invited: Evening with the Candidate

2009-10-01T19:59:00.001-06:00

Date: Thursday, October 8th
Time: 7:00-8:30 PM
Location: Home of Ron and Natalie Gordon in North Salt Lake

You're Invited: Evening with the Candidate

2009-09-21T19:49:00.000-06:00

Date: Tuesday, September 29th
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: Home of Gary and Brenda Mumford in North Salt Lake

An Update on the Results!!! And Thank You For Your Help!!!!!.

2009-09-16T10:57:00.005-06:00

I'm sure many of you have seen results from last nights primary and to those that have, let this serve as a Thank You for your help. To those that haven't, let me pass them on.

Len Arave 494
Lisa Baskin 385
Lynn Ballard 276

I appreciate all of you very much in getting my message out. I also hope you will keep with me over the next 6 weeks as we work towards the general election. North Salt Lake is a great city because of you and people like you who are serving and have served us so well in the past. Your support means the world to me. Next up the General Election!!!!!

PS. Congratulations to Matt Hardy, Matt Jensen, Bruce Oblad and Stuart Harmon who made it through the primaries. They all ran great races and deserve to be there. Thanks also to all of those who didn't make it through the primaries for their love of this great city, their willingness to serve and the time they have spent trying to make this a better place for us all.

An Interview With the Standard-Examiner Staff...

2009-09-12T22:30:00.002-06:00

Click here to read what I had to say.

You're Invited: A Candidate's Gathering

2009-09-10T11:26:00.003-06:00

Date: Saturday, September 12th
Time: 5:30-7:00 PM
Location: North Salt Lake City Hall

In The News

2009-09-07T22:58:00.001-06:00

Click here to read article from the Davis County Clipper

You're Invited: Evening with the Candidate

2009-09-01T13:42:00.004-06:00

Date: Thursday, September 10th
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: Home of James and Beth Goodrich in North Salt Lake

You're Invited: Evening with the Candidate

2009-08-25T14:38:00.000-06:00

Date: Thursday, September 3rd
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: Home of Nate & Nellie Pugsley in North Salt Lake

You're Invited: Evening with the Candidate

2009-08-20T14:36:00.000-06:00

Date: Thursday, August 27th
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: Home of Dan & Jenny Phillips in North Salt Lake

You're Invited: Evening with the Candidate

2009-08-13T11:33:00.000-06:00

Date: Thursday, August 20th
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: Home of Shanna Schaefermeyer in North Salt Lake

My Priorities

2009-08-06T20:00:00.008-06:00

I am the most qualified candidate for mayor and I would like your vote. I would like to share a little about my priorities for the city.

Fiscal Responsibility. We are facing uncertain economic times. Although the city is in good financial condition now, with the current economy we need to look closely at reducing costs today. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring.
Community Growth. We need to work on developing and beautifying Highway 89 and Redwood Road. We should continue to enroll SURE sites as well as participate in other programs that promote economic development. We need to support continued development in the gravel pit on Highway 89.
Transportation. We need to work with UDOT to gain better access for the I-15, I-215 and Legacy Parkway on and off ramps.
City Hall. We need to complete the new City Hall on time and in our budget.
Natural Resources. We have a great parks and trails system. We need to inform people about these so they can use them and help to continue their development. We also need to explore ways to protect our mountain benches.
Park and Community Projects. We need to complete the Foxboro regional park, the 5 acre park on the south bench and work towards a city cemetery.
Golf Course. We need to explore ways to get the golf course on secondary water.

People Who Know Me Say

2009-08-05T20:58:00.022-06:00

"I have know Len Arave and his family for more than ten years. In that time I have found him to be a man of integrity and commitment. He will utilize his years of experience and financial expertise to protect our interests while guiding the city government into the next decade. I wholeheartedly endorse him as our next mayor."
Jim Dixon
Mayor North Salt Lake 1998-2001

"I have known Len for many years. He is well qualified and I endorse him as the best candidate for mayor of our city."
Jake Simmons
Mayor North Salt Lake 1986-1993

"During my tenure as Mayor, Len has served on the City Planning Commission and Parks and Trails Board. I have found him to be a concerned and committed citizen in the community and I appreciate his service.
Shanna Schaefermeyer
Mayor North Salt Lake Current

"After having worked with Len Arave for 6 years on the North Salt Lake Planning Commission, I wholeheartedly support Len for Mayor of North Salt Lake. Len is intelligent and fair, and is a skilled problem solver. He has the knowledge, common sense and personable demeanor to lead our city wisely and well. He will represent us well as Mayor of North Salt Lake."
Natalie Gordon
Planning Commissioner 2002-2008

"Few have the courage or ambition to say no to irresponsible government spending or to walk 18 holes at the Eagleridge Golf Course, Len Arave does both. Having known Len for many years as a member of the North Salt Lake Trails Advisory Board, Planning Commission Member, and golfer at Eaglewood, it is an honor and pleasure to support Len in his run for Mayor of North Salt Lake."
Robert Franson Chairman,
North Salt lake Parks and Trails Board, Current

"In the many years that I have worked with Len Arave, I have always known him to be a man of high integrity and strong character. He has always been diligent in managing costs while being concerned with the impact of economic decisions on people."
Lynn Ames, Partner
Ernst and Young

“The voters of North Salt Lake have the opportunity to elect a truly qualified individual to lead their City. Len Arave is not only a talented long-term visionary, but possesses the unique ability to dig deep into a problem and find meaningful solutions. He has the wisdom to know the important from the frivolous and the skills to determine substance over façade. North Salt Lake City would be fortunate to have such a leader as Len directing its future.”
Terry Buckner, President
The Buckner Company

“When the world talks about successful people, the first things mentioned are generally their achievements in the secular world. But I believe that a man’s success begins from who he is inside. Len Arave is a man of principle, integrity, and commitment to his family, his community, his country, his faith.
… He possesses keen insights into the way organizations work, whether they be for-profit companies or local governments. Because he genuinely values people, it has been a priority for him that the people he works with be treated with respect and compassion.”
Walter Wolf, President
Wolf, Majesky, Rapp

Experience

2009-08-05T20:37:00.014-06:00

My Business Experience

After graduating from BYU with an MBA, I worked for Chrysler Corporation as a financial analyst and long range planner. I joined Woodside Homes in 1984. I was instrumental in growing the company from a local home builder to an entity that had operations in 14 states and revenues well in excess of $1 billion. I have extensive experience in finance, business systems and risk management. Most importantly, I understand how to analyze problems, make decisions and implement those decisions efficiently.

My Education

Graduated with Distinction from Brigham Young University in 1982 with a Masters of Business Administration – with emphasis in Finance and Planning.

Graduated Cum Laude from Weber State University in 1980 with a Bachelors of Arts in Accounting.

2009-08-04T20:30:00.000-06:00