County Commissioner Seat A

Gary Anderson is the incumbent running for his 3rd consecutive term, (his 5th term if you count two terms served years ago.) See his website here: http://www.electgaryanderson.com/

He is an attorney and the most polished in his presentation, at ease in front of large groups. His priority seems to be economic development. He touts the Utah Valley Convention Center and his time entertaining (fishing, four-wheeling etc.) prospective businesses for Utah County. In the debate he suggested the county has a role in helping attract businesses to Utah promoting cooperation over competition between cities.

Working with UTA on transportation is another priority for him. I shared my concerns about the accessibility and poor connections of the public transit and asked if he knew why the Express busses to Salt Lake, upon which a good number of SF residents relied, were cancelled when the commuter rail opened. He said he shared my concern and said he would work to reinstate those routes.

His challengers criticize him for his personal expense budget, his attendance at certain meetings and for the increase in bonded debt to accomplish certain growth initiatives. Greg Graves and Howard Stone in particular seemed to hold a more conservative idea of what the proper role of government should be in economic development. He says "government should be as small and lean as possible" but his definition of small and lean seems to differ from that of the other candidates.

Gregory James Graves http://gregforuc.com/ has a background in business but currently teaches business and marketing at a high school level. The main point he made in the Seat A debate was that 8 years ago Utah County had no bonded debt. He said there is now $275 million with a projected addition of $30 million. The interest is $22 million/year. He questions whether economic growth that is accomplished on the backs of taxpayers is "real" growth. He pointed out that at the county level, essential infrastructure like roads are actually a very small part of the budget.

Johnny Revill http://www.johnnyrevill.com has a background in sales and has served on the Lehi City Council for 3 terms. He said his priority was transparency and making sure that the citizens know what a County Commissioner does and where the $ is going. He supports increased funding for the Sherriff's department and has their endorsement. He said he grew up a farmer and understands the importance of water rights. He is aware of Agenda 21 but could not speak to the details. He sees Utah County as another "Silicon Valley" and wants to work with cities to attract businesses but was not specific in the details.

Howard Stone http://www.howardstone.org/ is the most critical of the current Commissioner. His negative style did not come across as well in the debate, but the issues he raises (and details on his website) are important to him and reflect a different philosophy on the role of Commissioner. When speaking to him one-on-one he was able to relate detailed scenarios of issues facing Utah's water rights and land use and whether those decisions will be made in the best interest of individual property rights. He has funded his own campaign.