Tiara Auxier, of Morgan, is the newest State House District 4 representative. Republican delegates picked Auxier after six rounds of voting in a special election in Coalville on Saturday.
Kera Birkeland, the former House District 4 representative, triggered the special election when she announced her resignation a month after winning her bid for reelection in November. She cited familial and professional commitments. Her resignation went into effect on Friday, 11 days before the Legislature’s general session starts on Jan. 21.
State House District 4 includes portions of Morgan, Rich and Summit counties. Three of the eight candidates who filed for the position — Kris Campbell, Ari Ioannides and Melanie Monestere — are Summit County residents.
Campbell, who switched political parties to be considered for the position, was eliminated in the first round of the special election. Monestere was eliminated in the fourth round, and Ioannides made it to the sixth and final round before delegates ultimately settled on Auxier.
Auxier has lived in Morgan County for five years, earning experience in public service by sitting on community councils for elementary and middle schools in Mountain Green. She said she’s a big supporter of parents’ rights and limited government.
“Something I want to work on is how we can remove the state ties from our transportation funding and the state demands for high-density housing,” Auxier said. “I think local communities know what they want their areas to look and feel like. Our zoning shouldn’t be being dictated or threatened by the state. All our counties in our district are dealing with this problem, whether [it’s] the Dakota Pacific project in Summit, 9 Springs in Morgan, or many of the projects in Rich.”
Rising property taxes are also a concern to Auxier. She said many Republican delegates emphasized the issue as a “huge priority” as she ran for the position, something Auxier heard “loud and clear.”
“I am a tax accountant by profession and feel like that will be really beneficial for our district as I dig into numbers and see where I can help cut waste or track where our tax dollars are being spent,” she said.
Auxier said with how soon it is to the general session, she’ll spend most of her time reading bills. But she also hopes to travel more throughout the district and meet constituents after the legislative blitz ends. She welcomed anyone who wants to get in touch with her to reach out by email at [email protected] or by visiting her website at Tiara4Utah.com.
“I am humbled by the trust that has been given to me to represent us and fight for our interests at the Capitol,” Auxier said.