The Heber City Council chambers were more packed than usual on Tuesday as friends and family members squeezed in for the swearings-in of Mayor Heidi Franco and city councilors Yvonne Barney and Morgan Murdock, who were elected in November. Before the ceremony, Barney had asked her 10-year-old gr andson, Charlie, for a good luck hug. When Charlie asked why, Barney explained that she was being sworn in.  Charlie was perplexed — wasn’t his grandmother already a City Council member? When Barney explained that she’d been elected for another four years, Charlie replied, “You know what, meemaw? Practice makes perfect.” That interaction served as the basis for Barney’s speech. “I don’t know if I’m ever going to be perfect at this position,” the incumbent said. “I may make mistakes. I may make you upset as citizens. I may make you laugh at my bumbling sometimes because I just struggle with my words. I may also make you proud.” Councilor Yvonne Barney said she will spend her second term bettering herself and engaging with the public. Credit: Jack Casebolt/Park Record Barney concluded by quoting a Facebook post from former Republican Mississippi State Senator Chris McDaniel about how structural reform starts with personal change. Barney said her takeaway from the post was that she would continue to change herself for the better by engaging with the public, even if she doesn’t quite reach perfection in doing so. Murdock followed Barney. He offered a bevy of gratitudes before saying that his 17-year home of Heber City is special because of its “genuine, hardworking and caring people — or, as my teenagers would say, legit people.” He pointed to the city’s settlers as examples, including his third great-grandfather, Joseph Stacy Murdock. Joseph Stacy Murdock was a pioneer who helped to establish settlements for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served as a bodyguard for its first prophet, Joseph Smith.  “I’m so grateful for his example of service, leadership and dedication, and I hope to honor his legacy,” Murdock said.  Councilor Morgan Murdock is a newcomer to city governance who is filling former Councilor Scott Phillips’ seat. Credit: Jack Casebolt/Park Record Franco also looked into history for inspiration for her speech. The incumbent mayor emphasized the upcoming 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, advertised in the council chambers by a freshly painted Utah America250 logo.  Franco pulled inspiration from Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, but also quoted a 17th century Latin maxim translating to, “In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity.” The phrase was originally used to push for unity among Christian sects.  Franco applied that idea to Heber City, which could be said to have its own essentials. She said the foremost of these was “responsible, sustainable growth” that pays for itself and protects property values, safety and air and water quality. “I know that our Heber community will thrive in 2026 based on unity in these essential principles,” Franco said, “And then, in all other things, charity, respect, integrity, goodwill and good works.” After the ceremony, Heber City swore in police officers Riley Ingram, Jeremy Nelson, Benicio Alvarado and Lucas Hyer. Ingram came from the Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office and has been serving at the Heber City Police Department for about one year.  Nelson served in law enforcement for 27 years, 23 of them for the Heber City Police Department. He was named deputy chief in 2022 and retired in 2024. It wasn’t long into his retirement that he felt the longing to return to work on one condition: that he be given field work rather than an administrative role.  Alvarado and Hyer graduated from the Utah Peace Officers Standards and Training Academy in December. Alvarado is Heber City’s youngest officer. Officers are required to be 21 years old by the time they graduate from the academy, and Alvarado celebrated that milestone nine days before graduation. But Alvarado isn’t quite as young as Heber City Police Department’s new K-9, Bane, who is just over 1 year old. The shepherd mix was trained for drug detection and will be taught apprehension in the summer.  Maybe jealous of the attention, Bane barked incessantly when his human co-workers received a standing ovation. Heber City Police Department’s new K-9, Bane, with his trainer, Officer Jesse Bell in December. Credit: Michael Ritucci/Park Record The post Heber City swears in mayor, city councilors, police officers appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less