PARAGONAH – Mayor and Town Manager Constance Robinson began her fifth term of service this month, and one of the city’s accomplishments she is most proud of is that is has been debt-free, with no loans or bonds, for 14 years.

The town has a population just short of 550 people, and covers about 2 1/2 to 3 miles square. Each home is situated on at least an acre, and it is important to them not to outgrow their resources, so they issue only two building permits a year and have a waiting list of people who would like to move there, she said.

It is a small community, but it has a town hall and small city office, a post office, and a volunteer fire department with great equipment. Half the town’s roads are chip sealed every other year, and it has its own utility system, maintenance crew, and building inspector, Robinson said.

Paragonah has been able to obtain grants for many of its improvements, such as a water tank and a fence around the cemetery, which has helped the town get some of the things residents want and need without going into debt. They have also been able to save up money for things they need, such as their recent power upgrade, she said.

The residents pay the lowest property tax in Iron County, she added.

Robinson said there is a four-member town council that meets monthly, and she also serves on many other councils, boards, and committees. For example, she is the chair of the Iron County Coordinating Council, a member of the Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems board of directors, and the Iron County representative to the Five County Association of Governments. She is also on the state’s Community Development Block Grant board.

Robinson has been recognized several times. She received the “Citizen of the Year” award from the town last year, was named “Elected Official of the Year” for Utah in 2004, and was even acknowledged nationally at one point. She has been told she is the longest-running female mayor in Utah.

“I’m very honored to represent Paragonah,” she said, noting that she couldn’t do the job without the wonderful, supportive residents.

She said she has loved the people of Paragonah since she moved there. They are attentive and look at the council meeting agendas, and personally, their support has helped her through some tough times, including the death of her husband, Antone, three years ago.

She and Antone moved to Paragonah from Salt Lake City shortly after they were married, and raised their four children there. Antone had been raised there as well, she said. Antone served as fire chief, and was the mayor for the four years before her first term, she said.

She said after having served so long she is very familiar with the job, the town and other organizations and committees. She knows what kinds of funds are available and what grants to apply for, which is helpful.

Though being mayor and city manager is time consuming, she enjoys it, she said.

“I like the challenge,” she said.

Though things can sometimes get discouraging, the residents are kind and appreciative of her work.

“It’s not a thankless job by any means,” she said.

One fun fact she enjoys telling people is that Paragonah was originally spelled “Paragoonah,” the way it is pronounced, and since she can’t find anywhere it was legally changed, she still spells it that way.