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Wright to run for county commissioner
Government » Candidate wants to adopt a county-council form of government.
By Donald W. Meyers
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 11/19/2009 09:26:28 AM MST
Provo » The 2010 election is still months away, but one Utah County Republican has thrown his hat in the ring for County Commission.
Joel D. Wright, a former Cedar Hills city councilman, announced his plans to run for one of the two seats currently occupied by Commissioners Gary Anderson and Steve White.
If he's elected, Wright said he would push for a change in county government. His idea: Adopt a county-council form of government.
"We need to have a county government that reflects a county of almost 550,000 people," Wright said. He said a county council would better address regional issues.
White, the incumbent, said dropping the three-member commission for a county council would be a bad idea.
"I'm not for change for the sake of change," White said. "I'm for change for improving service." While he would be amenable to enlarging the commission to five members, White said a county council would be costly for residents. He said Salt Lake County saw its budget increase $6 million when it switched from a commission to a council.
He said the commission doesn't govern all Utah County residents; only the 11,000 who live in the unincorporated areas.
Wright said the commission form served the county well about a century ago. But it lacks a system of checks and balances, as well as giving residents someone who represents their area on the body.
The commissioners serve as at-large members.
Another reason to go with a council-mayor form of county government: A better representative to make the county's case on the state and national level.
"A county mayor could get in the face of the Legislature and Congress," Wright said.
White said he has no problems representing the county before the Legislature or the state's congressional delegation.
"I have the cell phone numbers of our two [U.S.] senators and our [congressional] representative in my Blackberry," White said.
Wright said if he is elected he would promote economic development in the county, make Utah Lake more accessible and bolster the Utah County Attorney's Office's ability to prosecute white-collar crimes such as Ponzi schemes.
Wright is an attorney with Kirton and McConkie.
MY POSTED COMMENT ON THE ARTICLE ABOVE:
Glad to get the conversation going! Let's discuss a few of the points above:
1. New form of County Government? Both Commissioner White and I agree that the current form of county government, with just 3 commissioners, needs to be changed. Right now, the law requires that 2 county commissioners vote to put the issue on the ballot. If the voters approve it, then a study commission would be created which would propose a new form of county government. Maybe they would recommend Commissioner White's form (expand to 5 county commissioners) or maybe they would recommend my proposal (mayor and county council). But the voters would decide. Let's start that process.
2. "Salt Lake County saw its budget increase $6 million when it switched from a commission to a council." That's because they love to tax and spend in Salt Lake. Instead of having 3 commissioners paid $102,000 a year, we could switch to one part time mayor, and five part time county council members, and pay them all the same as we do our State Representatives - that would actually cut the costs in half.
3. "[White] said the commission doesn't govern all Utah County residents; only the 11,000 who live in unincorporated areas." Really? Then why is every property owner in Utah County paying property taxes to the County? Why does Utah County own so many roads in Utah County? Why did they approve borrowing $45 million to build a convention center in Provo yesterday? I guess it depends on how you define "govern".
4. Commissioner White is effective at representing Utah County before the Legislature and the state's delegation. But I would go further, and ask the federal and state governments to STOP taking so much of our money through taxes, and let us keep our own money to solve our own problems. For example, the State should not own or operate any roads that do not cross county lines. Instead, the county should own roads crossing city lines, and get our share of the state gas tax.
