NORTH SALT LAKE—It’s been 14 years since Brian Horrocks was elected to the city council. Now he’s taking the helm as mayor. 

“I’m so old I decided it’s now or never,” said Horrocks. “I figured I had about four years left in my work life.”

Horrocks has lived in North Salt Lake for 25 years. “We moved to Bountiful when we first got married and lived there for three and a half years,” he said. “Then we moved to North Salt Lake. We just like Davis County.”

He attended BYU then the University of Utah where he got a degree in business communication. “I manage high rise office buildings in downtown Salt Lake.”

About 20 years ago the mayor asked Horrocks to serve on the planning commission. “I told him I wasn’t going to run for anything,” he said. “I served for two terms and when my last term was up I saw a lot of projects coming along that I hoped somebody would shepherd through. That’s when I thought I should run for city council so I did.”

It’s mostly been positive, said Horrocks. “There have been times that I thought ‘boy this isn’t worth it.’ But at my work I’m used to if the phone rings it’s usually bad news.”

It’s a great city but it’s always been a little fragmented, he said. “We have the railroad tracks and I-15. There’s Eaglewood, Foxboro and the middle part. I’d like to unite the city more.”

The city is close enough to the railroad switching lines that sometimes the train blocks the east/west passage, Horrocks said. “We’d like to get an overpass. We’re going to do it. You throw out a goal and then figure out how to get there.”

When he first ran for office Horrocks said the common theme in the city was there were no parks. “Some need to be remodeled and updated,” he said. “We’d like to get a walkway along the wetlands in Foxboro and make it a more usable space.”

The city is running well, said Horrocks. “I’m basically pleased with the direction it has taken. I want to keep that direction going.”

Horrocks and his wife have four children. They like boating, Jazz games and rooting for BYU and the U. He also hits the gym every morning. 

As he takes office he’s excited for the future. “When Gov. Cox talks about the state he’s always very positive and upbeat,” said Horrocks. “I feel that way about North Salt Lake. I’m the number one cheerleader.”