Mayor Stephen Otto graduated High School from The Abbey School  in Canon City, Colorado and graduated from Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, Colorado with a degree in Business Administration. My working career began at Valley Bag and Chemical Company, Monte Vista, Colorado. I spent 6 years cultivating my business skills managing international futures contracts for currency and burlap from Bangladesh.

My career moved into the potato packing industry with positions at Marshall Produce, Pepper Potato Farms and Sanderson Farms. I managed physical plant expansions, transportation operations and sales manager. Founded Otto-Mation Equipment Co, 1987, to provide packaging equipment sales, including fabrication and service. Based in southern Colorado, my sales territory was from Vancouver B.C. Canada to San Antonio Texas, to Western Nebraska to Los Mochis, Mexico and many points in between. I successfully operated Otto-Mation Equipment 31 years.

My wife and I bought a home in Payson the last day of 2011. My wife and I transitioned between Colorado and Payson until 2015 when we were in Payson for good. I became involved in politics shortly after becoming a full time resident of Payson and the culmination has been my election as Mayor of Payson July 30, 2024.