SARATOGA SPRINGS -- The buzz words at Thursday's Saratoga Springs candidates meeting were fiscal responsibility and planning, as nearly every answer included those terms.

Mia Love and Jeff Francom are running for mayor this year, while the four candidates running for two open council positions are Michael McOmber, Jim Miller, Cecil Tuley and Michael Simpson.

In debate format, candidates were asked about business and commerce, administration goals, budget and fiscal responsibilities, personal experience, qualifications and civic involvement.

• Jeff Francom has served on the Saratoga Citizens Finance Committee since it was formed in January. He is married with three children. He has lived in Saratoga Springs for three years and has experience as a financial adviser.

"I want to help our city get back on a solid financial footing," he said, repeating this theme throughout the 90-minute debate.

Francom also said during the debate that the city has never applied for an economic development grant, and that the finance committee was not informed about a $62 million dollar deal with the LDS Church over water acquisition.

• Mia Love has served on the Saratoga Springs City Council for six years and has lived in Saratoga Springs for nine years. She has a fine arts degree from the University of Connecticut. She worked in tech support as a French-speaking team leader, then moved to software promotion. She said the news that the word "God" was being removed from the pledge of allegiance was what drove her to an interest in government.

When asked "What was the number one primary issue facing Saratoga Springs?," Love listed three issues: transportation, sales tax revenue and planning.

• Council candidate Michael Simpson works at Utah Valley University in Orem as a network engineer.

"When we have the bridge, I'll ride my bike to work," he said. He has been married nine years and has lived in Saratoga Springs for six years. He has three daughters.

"I want to do my part to make Saratoga Springs remain the place that brought us here," he said.

Simpson said the city needs a more comprehensive plan with "nice walkable economic centers." He also expressed concerns that many business owners in Saratoga Springs don't see the city as a partner but as a road block. Simpson's primary issue was fiscal responsibility. "We need an eight to 15 percent reserve that we won't touch unless we have to," he said.

• Cecil Tuley is a retired educator and teacher. He has served on the City Council for just a few months and is now running for the upcoming four-year term. Tuley said he has been attending city meetings for six of the seven years that he has lived in Saratoga Springs.

He moved to Saratoga Springs from Orem, where he lived for 38 years. "I love the view from here and the community," he said.

"Public input is critical. We need the cooperation of our developers and residents," he said, adding that his top priorities, "by a hair, are transportation, then planning."

• Mike McOmber has a master's degree in business administration and a bachelor's in political science. He is married with two children, and said he built his dream home in Saratoga Springs. He works out of his home for Siemens. "I have the time, experience and energy necessary to run," he said.

"I want to be proactive -- to take our city to the next level so it will be the envy of Utah," he said.

McOmber said his priority for the city is revenue with a "desire to be fiscally conservative." He said diverse forms of revenue such as sales tax and property taxes will bring stability.

• Jim Miller's primary issue was planning. He has lived in Saratoga for five years and is married with three children including six-month-old twins. He is the branch manager at the Bank of American Fork in Saratoga Springs. He has been in banking and finance for 12 years.

"I live and work here. I see the business and residential side," he said. Miller thinks that residents need a bigger voice in the community. He also said that the plan for the city is old. It needs to include new roads and the voice of the residents. He would like to see resident advocacy groups with representatives present at city meetings.

Miller also said, "I don't want strip malls from end-to-end."

Election Day is Nov. 3. Early voting continues through Friday from 8 a.m. to 12 noon at the city offices located at Suite 200, 1307 N. Commerce Drive, Saratoga Springs.