Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
- Ezra Nair was appointed to the Vineyard City Council, filling Sara Cameron's seat.
- Nair previously served as Vineyard's city manager; he will remain in his position as a Utah County administrator.
- He aims to support city staff in managing growth and tone down city rhetoric.
VINEYARD — A new council member was appointed to the Vineyard City Council.
Ezra Nair, Utah County administrator, was appointed last week to fill the seat vacated by former Councilwoman Sara Cameron, who resigned shortly after the November municipal general election.
Nair has been in his role at Utah County since 2023 — prior to that, he served as Vineyard's city manager for nearly two years.
"I'm excited to serve this city that I deeply care about and look forward to everyone's continued involvement," he said in a prepared statement.
During the City Council's Dec. 10 meeting, Nair was selected out of six applicants for the position to fulfill the remainder of Cameron's term, which ends in December 2027.
Changing of the guard
Nair is just one of the recently elected faces to lead Vineyard.
Aside from Cameron, the Dec. 10 meeting was also the final one for Mayor Julie Fullmer, as well as council members Brett Clawson and Mardi Sifuentes.
In November, residents elected Zack Stratton as mayor, as well as three council members, David Lauret, Jacob Wood and Parker McCumber — all of whom were backed by City Councilman Jacob Holdaway.
Nair initially ran for City Council in the municipal general election but didn't get enough votes at the time to secure a seat.
Now, more than a month later, he's ultimately getting the opportunity to serve on the Vineyard City Council.
"I appreciate the support of all those who did vote for me in this last election, and look forward to gaining more support," he told KSL.com. "I think, you know, we're a lot more alike than different on so many issues."
Safeguards in place for a reason
When former Councilwoman Sara Cameron stepped down, in accordance with state code and Vineyard's city policy, a public search began to fill her seat. Declarations of candidacy were accepted through Dec. 1.
The city said it received six applications, each containing a brief statement outlining the applicant's qualifications, experience and reasons for seeking the position.
Following the presentations, the mayor and City Council members, including Cameron, voted 3-1 to appoint Nair to the vacant seat — Sifuentes recused herself from the vote, officials said in the release.
Since the City Council role is part-time, Nair plans to remain as the administrator for Utah County. KSL.com reached out to the city to ask if the two positions would yield any potential conflict of interest.
In an emailed statement, Fullmer responded by saying:
"This is not unique to any one official. In a citizen council and volunteer system, many elected leaders across the state maintain private-sector or public-sector employment. While there is no clear conflict, this volunteer framework is precisely why disclosure and recusal requirements exist and are applied consistently. These safeguards are in place to ensure that everyone who serves is held accountable."
On the horizon
Nair highlighted several areas he'd like to focus on in his new role — including looking at ways to ensure city staff and council members feel supported, managing population and economic growth, and toning down rhetoric in the city.
"I have been excited about all my conversations with (Mayor-elect) Zack (Stratton) up to this point. I do think that that will be a priority of his as well," Nair said. "So I want to make sure that we're being supportive, but we're also being realistic and our expectations, the promises that we make and having the level of service that our citizens want and are willing to support with their precious tax dollars as well."
KSL.com has previously reported on some of the intense dialogue among elected officials during City Council meetings.
In March, the city adopted a Vineyard code of conduct in an effort to establish behavioral and ethical expectations of city officials who hold positions of trust and responsibility.
It applies to all members of the City Council, boards, committees and commissions in Vineyard and will be included in council and board orientations and in annual training.
Before Cameron announced her resignation, she launched a local newspaper, the Vineyard Observer, with the intention of providing reliable information and fostering respectful community dialogue.
As the sun sets on many of Vineyard's current leadership, in preparation for a new mayor and City Council members to take the dais next month, Fullmer thanked the outgoing council members for their contributions during last Tuesday's meeting.
"Each of these leaders has given their time, energy, and heart to this community. Vineyard is better because of their service, and we are grateful for the foundation they leave as we continue building a strong, connected future. With this change, we are seeing institutional knowledge leave. While my door remains open to help bridge that gap, it is essential to have people ready and capable of stepping in, closing those gaps, and building the relationships that keep this city moving forward," she said in a prepared statement.
Nair also thanked the outgoing leaders and noted the influence they have had on him.
"Their service has inspired me throughout the years," he said.
