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Meet the Candidates: Byron Mayoral Race

It's a match up between neighbors in the battle for Byron's top seat.

"I like Larry. Larry's my next door neighbor, and we're friends," says candidate, Mike Love.

"I refer to my opponent as a worthy individual. He's my friend and I like him," says Byron Mayor, Larry Collins.

Mayor Collins maintains he's still the better choice.

"One of these days I think he will really be an asset to city government, but again it's part of a process, and you can't walk into the army one day and say I want to be the general now."

Love believes he can handle the challenge. As the former city manager in Ogden Utah, he helped revamp their downtown area. He hopes to do the same for Byron.

"All of the buildings are built to a building code. They have a theme, and we have that to tout as this is what we're proud of," says Love.

Mayor Collins says this job is for a man with a proven record. With a recent $300,000 grant, he wants to continue the prosperity he's promised by creating a plan for Historic Byron.

"I think the future's going to be a lot of what the past was about from this point of view we have to decide what we want Byron to be like."

Love maintains that his passion for people's wants is the engine that drives him.

"The people tell me that there are things that they hold dear to their hearts that are not being addressed," says Love.

In Byron's future Love sees a high school, senior citizen center, transparency in city government, and a mayor who's not afraid to step outside of the box.

"The plan for the future is, let's just keep doing what we're doing. I want to do it a little differently," says Love.

Mayor Collins believes change of power isn't what the city needs.

"I'm the guy with experience. I'm the man who's been around a while and understands the process and what goes on."

Now it's up to the voters to decide between change or comfort.