Meet Salt Lake City Council candidate Eva López Chávez
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Eva López Chávez. Photo: Courtesy of Eva López Chávez
District 4 candidate Eva López Chávez, who is facing incumbent Ana Valdemoros and one other candidate, is a consultant to businesses and nonprofits.
Details: She previously worked as a liaison for the mayor's office and was chair of the Salt Lake County Democratic Party.
Of note: Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
📲 First tap in the morning: "My Google calendar. It runs my life and is automatically emailed to me every morning at 5am."
😄 Hobbies: "Fly fishing, baking pies and gardening at the East Central Community Garden!"
🏠 What neighborhoods have you lived in? "East Central and Central Ninth/Downtown."
🎨 What whale-sized sculpture belongs in your district and where would it go? "It would be a sculpture of the food chain of the Great Salt Lake, featuring our state crustacean, the brine shrimp. It belongs at the southern end of Pioneer Park, where commuters inch their way out of the city at rush hour, to remind drivers and pedestrians of where on this Earth they are. Art is storytelling, and our story and the lake's story are intertwined."
🤔 What's the top issue Salt Lakers face? "From a lived-experience perspective, communities are being displaced and need affordable housing. From an ecological perspective, we are on the brink of environmental catastrophe if we lose our Great Salt Lake."
🏠 How would you address affordable housing in Salt Lake City? "By utilizing the Redevelopment Agency, the city can start to look at city-owned assets and become a builder of affordable housing. We can also expand our housing trusts and help people become equity-shareholders with the city!"
🌊 As the Great Salt Lake dwindles, what policy solutions would you recommend to conserve water? "Salt Lake City has the opportunity to set a water budget that helps determine where our water goes. We should also look at water prices to reduce demand, whenever appropriate."
🚩 What sets you apart as a candidate? "I understand how to navigate process, red tape and the bureaucracy at City Hall. I am a candidate that knows when and how to involve the public before decisions are made. Civic engagement needs to be artful and tactful, but always inclusive."
☝ First action as a City Council member: "Day one, I will be collaborating on creating a counter-displacement strategy after the Thriving in Place studies are thoroughly reviewed."
🏛 Finally, why do you want to be a City Council member? "Since I was little, I knew that there were people making decisions every day on behalf of the city, and these decisions have real consequences for people like my family and neighbors.
- "As a big sister and former city employee, it is important that I retell the stories of my neighbors and community at City Hall, use data to quantify their experiences, and collaborate with other municipal employees to protect our neighborhoods."