The Orem City Council minutes, as summarized by The Utah Ledger, name Crystal Muhlestein among the members voting no on 5 agenda items. Minutes do not always record each member's vote, so this list does not show how Crystal Muhlestein voted on other items. On a motion to deny, table or continue, a no vote is a vote against that motion. It is not a score or a rating.
3-3 among council members; Mayor Karen McCandless voted yes, breaking the tie; Council Members LaNae Millett, Crystal Muhlestein and Jeff Lambson voted no
Moved by Council Member Jenn Gale, seconded by Council Member Quinn Mecham
4-2; Council Members Crystal Muhlestein and LaNae Millett voted no; Mayor McCandless also voted yes
Moved by Council Member Jenn Gale, seconded by Council Member Jeff Lambson
From council minutes collected by The Utah Ledger; each item links to the meeting page and its official minutes.
Education and community roots
Crystal Muhlestein grew up in California’s Central Valley and came to Utah to study exercise science at Brigham Young University. After time in Ohio while her husband completed further education, the family returned to Utah and settled in Orem. In the city’s profile, she describes parenting as the main focus of her adult life, alongside extensive volunteering in her children’s schools. [1]
School advocacy and local involvement
Muhlestein served through the PTA, volunteered in classrooms and obtained substitute-teaching certification when her local school needed additional help. A proposed set of elementary-school closures drew her into organized advocacy. She worked with other parents to oppose the closures, an experience she credits with motivating greater involvement in local government. After an unsuccessful first council campaign, she remained active in community and county political work. [1]
Representation and leadership
Orem’s profile records Muhlestein beginning council service in January 2026. She describes her aim as understanding and representing residents’ needs, without having entered office committed to a single signature project. She also values adding the perspective of a younger parent to the council. Her account emphasizes adapting when circumstances change, listening carefully and continuing to learn about the services and institutions that shape residents’ daily lives. [1]
Current responsibilities
Muhlestein’s council term runs 2026–2030. Assignments include the Events Advisory Commission, Youth Council, Public Works Advisory Commission and local government legislative and community-housing work through the Utah League of Cities and Towns. [2]
Profile sources
Profile refreshed October 20, 2026. Candidate statements describe the candidate's own experience or positions; official records and reporting are labeled separately.
The council adopted a February 2026 budget amendment, Ordinance O-2026-0004, that includes a $3,680,788.60 transfer from the general fund to the capital projects fund after an audit found the general fund over the state cap. The records reviewed do not show whether the money moved by June 30.
AI-generated illustration: The Utah Ledger · Original graphic · The Utah Ledger
The Aug. 27 vote, 4-2 among council members with the mayor also voting yes, also moved all of the city's general operations property tax into a new public safety fund.
