There’s been a switch in Democratic candidates for Wasatch County Council at-large Seat A. Patrick Saucier withdrew from the race and was replaced by Robert Duncan McNeill. 

McNeill, a Democrat and Heber City resident, filed his declaration of candidacy on Sept. 1, one day after Saucier withdrew from the race. 

According to Utah law, a political party may certify the name of a different person after the close of the filing period if the candidate who already filed withdraws from the race. 

Wasatch County Democratic Party Vice Chair Claire Hassett said her party conducted a review for new candidates after Saucier decided to accept a new job in his home state of New Hampshire. 

“We found a really fabulous candidate who was willing and able to run in Patrick’s place,” Hassett said. 

McNeill, Hassett said, is a lifelong Democrat and progressive who “really understands Wasatch County” and its needs. 

“I think he will really represent our community well on the council, and he brings unique life experience that I think is going to be very helpful as we try to balance growth and development with serving our communities, being true to our community values and roots,” Hassett said. 

McNeill is the only Democratic Party candidate seeking the seat. In November, he will face Republican Party candidate Rachel Kahler and write-in candidates Jami Hewlett and Shawn Taylor. 

Taylor, from Charleston, filed his write-in candidacy on Aug. 27. Hewlett filed her write-in candidacy on Aug. 26. 

The Democratic Party vice chair said the most important thing for a candidate is to have an “ethic of public service.”

“I think too many of our elected officials in the state have gotten away from actually serving the public, listening to what their needs are and working on solutions to address them,” Hassett said. 

The position for County Council Seat A is a four-year term. 

Saucier and McNeill were both unavailable for comment by the time of publication. 

The voter registration deadline is Oct. 23, though same-day registration is available on Election Day, Nov. 3. Regular general election ballots are mailed Oct. 13, and all ballots must be in the Wasatch County Clerk-Auditor’s Office by 8 p.m. on election night.

The post Wasatch County Democrat withdraws from council race; new candidate replaces him appeared first on Park Record.

Midway farmer Randy Lundin’s great-grandfather established himself in the Heber Valley on just 7 acres in 1892. Today, 27 head of cows and calves, a handful of horses, foxes, coyotes, raccoons and the occasional mountain lion roam the now 119-acre property, which the Lundin family has fought to preserve through a conservation easement for the past four years. 

The process has been about as strenuous as the backbreaking labor the Lundins have performed for generations. But the project achieved a significant milestone on July 1, when the Wasatch County Council unanimously finalized a purchase agreement funding $2 million of the land’s purchase price from the county open space bond fund.

The Midway City Council in December also voted for funding its portion of the conservation easement, $1 million, coming from its open space bond fund.

The purchase can now go forward as soon as all conditions of the agreement are met.

The final condition is that the Lundin siblings settle a struggle over the property that has been in litigation since 2021. The siblings entered into a settlement agreement in May 2024 and have since been in negotiations to finalize it.

The next status hearing on the case overseen by a Fourth District judge is scheduled for Aug. 14.

The exact terms of the settlement agreement do not matter as long as they protect Wasatch County, Midway and Utah Open Lands, allowing the purchase agreement to go forward, said Wasatch County Deputy Attorney Jon Woodard.

As soon as the purchase agreement goes into effect, the Lundins will have three years to secure funding of the $4.5 million that constitutes the rest of the purchase price. They will be assisted by Utah Open Lands. 

Executive Director Wendy Fisher expected most of that funding to come from the National Resource Conservation Service. Utah Open Lands is also looking at other federal, state and local sources and private foundations, and is accepting donations.

“This was the first hurdle in what is still a long journey, so it’s been amazing to see the Lundins stay at the table,” Fisher said. “We’ll need every oar in the river to get this one done.”

If the Lundins cannot raise the $4.5 million after the three-year period ends, Wasatch County and Midway’s combined $3 million will be returned with interest, Woodard said. 

If established, the conservation easement would allow the Lundin family to continue farming the land while preserving it for future generations. 

“Development’s going on all around this, so there is a threat of imminent loss of the existing open space,” Woodard said.

The land is visible from Main Street in Heber City, Wasatch Mountain State Park and much of Midway, justifying its aesthetic importance, Woodard said.

Midway would transform a ditch running across the Lundin property into a public trail that would also serve as an emergency access and wildfire evacuation route.

Public access would also be allowed for educational tours, allowing residents to take in the echoes of the past found on the Lundin property, from a plum orchard the siblings’ great-grandfather planted over a century ago to the 10-by-10-foot brick homestead the siblings were raised in.

“It was warm in the winter. Cozy,” Randy joked.

He said establishing the conservation easement has taken longer than expected, but that he will be happy when it is finally established.

“This has been a long process. It has been emotional, and it has been trying, I think, for everyone involved,” Fisher said.

She added that the Lundin family is selling the land for less than it has been appraised for.

“This isn’t something they’re doing to make money. They’re actually going to be making a sizable contribution to the value of the conservation easement,” she said. “I think that needs to be recognized. All of these projects that we work on, really, they don’t happen unless the landowners love their land, and the Lundins love their land.”

The post Wasatch County commits $2 million to Lundin conservation easement appeared first on Park Record.

The Wasatch County Clerk-Auditor’s Office on Wednesday finalized the results of the county’s GOP primary election, which took place on June 23.

Rachel Kahler has secured the Republican nomination for Wasatch County Council Seat A in the tightest race of this election. She secured 2,722 votes, or 51%, as opposed to Brett Vance’s 2,584 votes, or 49%. The pair have maintained those percentages of the vote since the preliminary results were released, even as final ballots have been counted.

Kahler said she was initially thrown for a tailspin by the closeness of the preliminary results but that the experience has given her a greater appreciation for just how much every vote counts.

“I’m grateful that we now have a final result, so that I can really move forward and focus on part two. This is a long campaign season, almost a year, and I’m excited to look at next steps, work with Wasatch County GOP leadership and really step forward as the Republican nominee,” she said.

Kahler will go on to face Democratic candidate Patrick Saucier in November’s general election.

Wasatch County Council Seat A is currently occupied by Luke Searle, who is running for House District 59, which serves Wasatch and Summit counties. 

Searle secured the Republican nomination over Jeffrey Pierce and will go on to face Democratic candidate and former Midway Mayor Celeste Johnson in the general election.

Searle won over 3,136 votes, or 58%, of Wasatch County voters. Pierce collected 2,247 votes or 42%.

Pierce secured more Summit County votes than Searle, though, with 522 votes compared to Searle’s 256. The Summit County Clerk’s Office’s results are still preliminary, but factoring them in, Searle and Pierce garnered 55% and 45% of the vote, respectively. Summit County will finalize results on Tuesday.

Wasatch County Emergency Management Director Jeremy Hales is the Republican nominee for sheriff. He secured 3,473 votes, or 67%, while incumbent Jared Rigby secured 1,744, or 33%. Hales will go on to face unaffiliated candidate Paul Moore in November.

The clerk-auditor election is the only one with an outcome that’s officially decided before the general election.

Incumbent Joey Granger and Park City Recorder Michelle Kellogg both ran as Republicans, with no opponents from other parties. Kellogg received 2,804 votes, or 53%, and Granger received 2,477, or 47%.

Granger shared some other statistics about the election with the Wasatch County Council when she presented the results on Wednesday. 

Of the 5,632 ballots received, only 190 were cast in-person.

“I think that means that our voters are pretty confident in the mail-in process. The majority of those were put in drop boxes,” Granger said.

The GOP election saw a 47% turnout from Wasatch County’s active Republican voters. That’s 5,522 votes from 11,725 registered Republican voters, who make up nearly two-thirds of registered voters in the county.

“That’s a pretty good turnout,” Granger said.

The post Wasatch County GOP election results have been finalized appeared first on Park Record.

The Wasatch County Council on Wednesday approved a settlement agreement with mining company Maverick Rock after a more than year-long legal battle over its proposed expansion.

Maverick Rock has sought to expand mining operations of its East Ekins Mine near Santaquin by adding a 426-acre mine in Daniels Canyon.

The county denied Maverick Rock’s request for a public hearing — all that is required under state law for the expansion to go forward — in June 2025 after allegedly ignoring several such requests from the mining company since that February.

Maverick Rock took Wasatch County to court in July 2025, and Fourth District Judge Jennifer Mabey sided with the mining company in April. She found that Maverick Rock had the right to expand under state code because Great Blue Limestone and Manning Canyon Shale, the materials mined at the East Ekins Mine, are present in Daniels Canyon.

Per Mabey’s ruling, the County Council held a public hearing on April 22, but no residents made public comments. Between that hearing and now, however, there have been more than 100 public comments on the issue, according to Deputy County Attorney Alex Stoedter.

The county further stalled the expansion by arguing that it would pose a threat to public health, safety and welfare. Under state code, this allows the county to negotiate mitigation measures with the mining company, which were approved through the settlement agreement on Wednesday. 

These mitigation measures, Stoedter said, are “greatly limited” and pale in comparison to what the county could have demanded if the mine had gone through the local conditional use permitting process. Typically, mines would have to go through the conditional use permitting process in the area the expansion is proposed in, but Mabey’s ruling and state code overrode that authority. 

Conditional use permitting does not allow the county to deny a mine in the area, but it does allow the county to ask for more stringent mitigation measures than those that were in the approved settlement agreement.

“(Mitigation in the settlement agreement) is limited to things that do not go beyond what a state permit would require. They have to be reasonable, and they have to be narrowly tailored to findings of endangerment,” Stoedter said. “They’ve got all their permits, dust, air, water, all those things, and we reviewed them. They’re in compliance. But they’re agreeing to these mitigation measures, and it’s going to allow them to start mining.”

The county argued that the expansion could have adverse noise, air quality and traffic impacts, but its foremost concern was protecting water quality, particularly for the town of Daniel, which has two wells next to the excavation site that serve 190 people, according to Daniel Planning Director Eric Bunker.

“That’s a big water source for the town, and we don’t know how to replace it if it gets contaminated,” Bunker said.

The biggest wins as far as mitigation measures go, Stoedter said, were related to water quality. First, the county can test and verify water quality in the mining area before and during operations.

“At any time, we could go in, test the water and see if there’s contamination,” he said. 

Second, Maverick Rock must not excavate within 100 feet of the two Daniel wells. Bunker argued the buffer should be larger.

Heber City Mayor Heidi Franco echoed that sentiment, commenting that the county should do a groundwater study before finalizing the buffer’s size.

Time, however, was not on the county’s side.

County Councilor Luke Searle made a motion to delay the vote to next week’s meeting, which died as soon as Stoedter explained the fragility of the current agreement, which is a product of tense negotiations for the past two weeks.

“It’s conditioned in this agreement that we approve it or deny it today. So, if we further delay it, that could take this agreement off the table. They could sue us, and then, it’s not the council getting this mitigation. We’re back in litigation, and the court’s going to decide if we get any mitigation or not,” Stoedter said. 

Most importantly, Maverick Rock has estimated up to $50 million in potential damages incurred by the county. Stoedter said delaying approval of the settlement agreement would increase the likelihood of the mining company suing the county over those damages.  

County Manager Dustin Grabau said those costs could be passed on to county residents.

“That financial risk to the county is potentially something that would be obligated to be passed on to taxpayers. Some entities can end up with a very large judgment, and it ends up as an additional property tax line item because of the size of the judgment. That’s something that we’re trying to avoid,” he said.

That was ultimately why the County Council approved the agreement by 4-2 vote. Searle and Colleen Bonner were the “no” votes.

“As a council, we are pretty unanimous in our disagreement with this mine. We don’t want it. We know the public has expressed their opinion very vocally. They don’t want it. And we have tried using every measure we can to fight this,” said County Councilor Erik Rowland. “We’re in a position now where we recognize that this is more than just a mine or a blight on a hillside, but significant costs to the taxpayer and the county as a whole.”

The county’s last attempt to fight the mine will be in the Utah Court of Appeals. The county filed an appeal to Mabey’s ruling on Monday. If the Court of Appeals were to side with Wasatch County, Maverick Rock would be required to go through the conditional use permitting process through the County Council.

Grabau ultimately hopes for an adjustment to state code that would clarify that a mining company could not expand into another county with little input from local government just because the materials they mine are also found in that area.

“We’ve been working with our own lobbyists, with other local governments that are subject to these very same issues. We have partners at the Utah Association of Counties and the Utah League of Cities & Towns. I think we have a lot of allies. We even met with the Division of Natural Resources, who was of the same opinion that this code should not apply in this way,” he said.

The matter is one of state versus local authority, Stoedter said.

“There’s kind of a trend of removing the local authority on these types of decisions. And that’s exactly what this law does,” he said.

The post Wasatch County approves settlement agreement over long-disputed 426-acre mine appeared first on Park Record.

Rachel Kahler has maintained her lead as the Republican candidate for Wasatch County Council Seat A with narrow primary election results.

The former Heber City councilor secured just over 51% of the vote with 2,694 ballots cast in her favor as of Wednesday afternoon. Her opponent, William Brett Vance, garnered just under 49% of the vote with 2,566 ballots in his favor. 

That 128-vote lead appears to be enough for Kahler to secure her win in the primary election, though results will not be finalized until next Wednesday’s regular County Council meeting. Clerk-auditor Joey Granger estimated there were about 130 challenged ballots that needed to be rectified before they could be counted. Granger has contacted those voters.

Kahler, who ran for City Council in 2019, said she is vying for County Council Seat A to continue the fight for responsible growth and to foster communication with the public. 

Vance echoed Kahler’s concern of “undisciplined, uncontrolled growth.” He also touted an “America first” playbook and traditionally conservative values. 

In a prepared email statement, Vance said that, as a relative newcomer, getting nearly 50% of the vote signaled Republicans resonated with his campaign.

“Our voters told me loud and clear that they have had enough of too much, too soon development, big budget increases, out of control property taxes, encroachment on our open spaces and insufficient stewardship of our water,” Vance said.

He said it’s clear that for Seat A, “voters have decided to maintain the status quo, albeit by a very slim margin.”

Though it was a close race, Kahler said she is happy with the result. She said, however, that the narrow margin shows voters are “divided on every issue.”

“Whether it be growth or bypass or preservation of agricultural lands,” Kahler said. “It did surprise me how close that election was, given my opponent is new to the community and relatively unknown.”

Vance, a Hideout resident, worked to interface with the public throughout his campaign. Ahead of the primary election, he said that involved door knocking to talk with voters and “cut to the truth” of top issues. 

He was also the only Wasatch County Republican Party candidate at the nominating convention in April to secure 60% of the delegate vote. However, Kahler opted out of the convention process and chose the signature-gathering process, which triggered a primary election. 

Kahler said she wanted to meet with voters face-to-face throughout her campaign. She said it was a way to interact with Wasatch County residents she did not already know through her work on the City Council and with the Community Alliance for Main Street. 

It was also a way to explain some of the decisions made in Heber City while Kahler sat on the City Council. She said some of those decisions — surrounding Jordanelle Ridge development, community revitalization and the Heber Valley Airport — remain unpopular, even if Kahler was a “no” vote. 

“There’s a lot of people that are frustrated with the growth and decisions that were made on council,” Kahler said.

That followed Kahler throughout her campaign. 

“Even though people looked at my voting record and started kind of tearing down different elements of who I am, I think it was important that, during the campaign, I tried to stay positive,” Kahler said. 

If Kahler were to do one thing differently, she said, she would try to further connect with voters about why she made certain choices while sitting on the City Council. 

“Even though I didn’t want to dig all that back, I think it’s important now, seeing the results. I think it’s important that people understand (those decisions) in a little more depth,” Kahler said. 

Now, Kahler will move forward to campaign against Democrat Patrick Saucier for Seat A in the general election

Saucier said he is running for Seat A because he wants to see Wasatch County improve. He is the only Democrat seeking the seat, which is currently occupied by Luke Searle, whose term ends in January.

Searle, however, just earned the Republican candidacy for House District 59 in Tuesday’s primary election. Whether he wins or loses the seat against former Midway Mayor Celeste Johnson, a Democrat, in November.

Until then, Republican and Democratic candidates across the board will be campaigning, hopeful for a new role in 2027.  

The post Rachel Kahler leads Republican candidacy for Wasatch County Council Seat A appeared first on Park Record.

Rachel Kahler said she has learned a great deal from the community as a candidate for Wasatch County Council Seat A. It has been a time to listen and understand the Wasatch Back’s top issues. 

Kahler, a Republican, is facing Brett Vance in the primary election, which will be held on June 23. Vance, who was the only Wasatch County Republican Party nominee at the nominating convention in April, chose the convention process. Kahler, however, said she chose the signature gathering process to connect more with her community. 

That triggered a primary election for the two candidates. In November, the winner of the GOP primary election will face Democrat Patrick Saucier for the seat. 

A former Heber City Council member, Kahler said she is running for Wasatch County Council to continue the fight for responsible growth. And, to foster communication with the public. 

Throughout her campaign, Kahler said she has heard one repeated concern. 

“Obviously, growth is always top of mind,” Kahler said. “But property taxes increased and cost of living, those are things that are really concerning people right now.”

Kahler said the community is looking to elected officials to mitigate increasing costs, but she has heard that Wasatch County residents “just don’t see an end in sight.”

In preparation to take on such challenges, Kahler has begun acting like a County Council member herself. She has been attending current council meetings, looking at the agendas and deepening her understanding of decisions being made. 

“What I have been most impressed with this current council is their desire to protect and preserve the rural environment of our community,” Kahler said. “To not just approve development on every piece of land, but to actually thoughtfully create plans that reflect the desire to the community to preserve and protect.”

If elected, Kahler said in the first few months, she plans to review where the county stands in terms of utilities. That includes looking at water, sewer and power to learn where the county’s capacity is and really understand what’s available for future growth.

“I think it’s also important that we look at our road system, not just the big picture with UDOT,” Kahler said.

The Utah Department of Transportation is currently planning a bypass route around Heber City that will divert traffic from Main Street. But Kahler said it’s also important to examine what works with county roads, side streets and where growth will occur. 

Kahler said she has the necessary experience to “hit the ground running” because of her participation with the Heber City Council, but also her willingness to learn ahead of the election on County Council matters. 

“I think that is something that really sets me apart from my competitor, is that I have experience making these decisions and understanding the lay of the land,” Kahler said.

When she was elected to the City Council in 2019, Kahler said she had a lot of catching up to do. She hopes to make a change on that front this time around. 

“I’m really trying to use this year to understand the issues so that if the constituents vote for me and have the trust that I’m going to make those decisions, I have done my homework, and I’m ready to get to work come January,” Kahler said. 

All primary election ballots, including those sent by mail, must be received by the county offices by June 23, which is also when in-person voting will take place. 

Secure ballot drop box locations have been open 24 hours since June 3 and close at 8 p.m. on June 23. Election Day voting will be held from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Wasatch County Administration building.

The post Rachel Kahler is ready to ‘get to work’ as a Wasatch County Council member  appeared first on Park Record.

William Brett Vance said he has observed that for voters, it’s “undisciplined, uncontrolled growth” that needs the most attention in Wasatch County.

If elected to Wasatch County Council Seat A, Vance said he would give the matter his full attention.

Vance, a Republican, will face Rachel Kahler in the primary election, on June 23. Vance was the only Wasatch County Republican Party candidate at the nominating convention in April to secure 60% of the delegate vote. However, Kahler chose the signature-gathering process, which triggered a primary election.

In November, the winner of the GOP primary election will face Democrat Patrick Saucier for the seat. 

Vance is a self-proclaimed “America-first” candidate with a nearly 31-year military career as a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot and test pilot. In February, Vance asserted that it’s time to bring “conservative values” back to the County Council. 

In a prepared email statement, Vance said he has gone door-to-door throughout his campaign to talk with voters and “cut to the truth” of top issues. After months of talking with the community, Vance said people’s priorities stayed the same. 

First, Vance said that there has been “poor planning and resource management” when it comes to development. He said the “skyrocketing rate” of development is not mirrored by the supporting number of population growth. 

The Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute in November estimated that Wasatch County is expected to be home to 84,126 residents by 2065. That’s double the county’s current population of just under 40,000. 

“My concern — and that of all the folks I’ve been talking to for months during the campaign — is that we are building and approving new development projects too much, too soon,” Vance said.

Vance also said that the County Council should be “rooting out and ending fraud, waste and abuse.” Though Vance did not provide examples of alleged fraud on the county level, he asserted that income tax could be eliminated “if the money went to where it was actually appropriated.”

Vance cited fraud investigations at the national level by Vice President JD Vance.

“I just want to ensure that we don’t have similar circumstances here,” Vance said. “That’s simply good stewardship.”

The Republican candidate also said he has heard qualms from the community in regard to property taxes. 

“I’ve been talking to people for months during the campaign, and this problem is always in the top three concerns,” Vance said. 

His plan is to work with other councilors, the county manager and assessor to seek different income sources and cap current property tax rates. 

“A great place to start the reductions would be properties belonging to seniors with paid-for homes,” Vance said. 

On the current council, Vance said he appreciates the volume of topics addressed and that each council member is able to offer their opinion on a given topic. 

“What I would change would be our budgeting process. Given the tripling of the budget in just a few years, it is time for a zero-based analysis and budget reset,” Vance said. 

Vance said he has made it clear that the voters’ priorities are his priorities, too. He plans to promote increased communication with the community and work toward more conservative values in Wasatch County.

All primary election ballots, including those sent by mail, must be received by the county offices by June 23, which is also when in-person voting will take place. 

Secure ballot drop box locations have been open 24 hours since June 3 and close at 8 p.m. on June 23. Election Day voting will be held from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Wasatch County Administration building.

The post ‘Conservative values’ matter to Wasatch County Council candidate Brett Vance appeared first on Park Record.

With ballots sent on Tuesday, voters can submit their ballots by mail or vote in person on June 23. Six candidates will face a primary election this June. 

Primary elections are triggered when candidates are unable to secure the party nomination or if they opt for signature gathering, which can automatically trigger a primary. Candidates running for county office must gather signatures from 3% of registered voters in their party who are residents of the relevant area, according to state code. 

Wasatch County Sheriff

Two Republican candidates are vying for Wasatch County sheriff: Incumbent Sheriff Jared Rigby and Wasatch County Emergency Management Director Jeremy Hales. Rigby and Hales opted for signature gathering, which automatically puts them on the primary election ballot. 

Rigby and Hales participated in a candidate forum hosted by KPCW and The Wasatch Record on May 27. The candidates shared their views on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the department’s future, growth in the county and fiscal responsibility. 

Hales has worked in Wasatch County for nearly 25 years and now serves as the director of emergency management and 911 communications. Hales ensures everything from emergency calls to disaster planning runs smoothly.

Hales said his time as a school resource and D.A.R.E. officer made a big impact, saying that working with children and the school district was “really remarkable.”

As sheriff, Hales said he hopes to help the department grow alongside Wasatch County, which has seen and will continue to experience rapid growth. 

“I want to bring a new voice and a new opinion that people will understand,” Hales said, adding that he hopes to support people’s constitutional rights as sheriff. 

Rigby, who is running for a third term, began working as a Wasatch County corrections officer in 2001 before transitioning to patrol. He said he accomplished “many changes” in the Sheriff’s Office throughout his tenure. 

As sheriff, Rigby said he would continue to address the top issues in Wasatch County. Growth, to start. Then, fostering public trust and working with law enforcement agencies across the Wasatch Back. 

Rigby is currently under public scrutiny as an investigation by the Summit County Sheriff’s Office into Rigby’s actions is underway. That’s preceded by multiple investigations into the Sheriff’s Office over recent years. 

Rigby addressed these allegations and investigations at the candidate forum. 

“There have been five allegations and five investigations in the last year and a half, having to do with me or our office,” Rigby said. “Four out of five, there have been determinations, findings that there is no criminal conduct, there is no policy violations, there’s no wrongdoing, there’s no serious misconduct.”

Rigby said he is grateful to serve the Wasatch County community and hopes to continue to do so in the future. 

Clerk-auditor

Park City Recorder Michelle Kellogg and incumbent clerk-auditor Joey Granger, both Republicans, will appear on the primary ballot for the clerk-auditor position. 

The Clerk-Auditor’s Office maintains all countywide elections, prepares agendas, takes minutes during Wasatch County Council meetings and keeps all approved county ordinances and resolutions on file. The office is also responsible for the county’s financial functions, conducting reviews, internal audits and issuing financial statements and reports. 

Kellogg, a Heber City resident, worked for Heber City for nearly eight years before her 10-year tenure as Park City’s recorder. The Park City position is appointed by the city’s manager. 

Kellogg said she is looking to use her experience and skills to benefit the Wasatch County community. She is well-versed in Government Records Access Management Act requests and managing elections, which is a major part of the job. 

Though she thinks it is a “good office now,” Kellogg said she wants to bring it “from being a good office to being an excellent one.”

Granger said she does not feel she is finished with her work as clerk-auditor. She is proud to have “modernized” the office in the past five years and “clean up financials,” too. 

“I want to continue to implement new processes or improve existing services that will serve the public’s needs,” Granger said. 

County Council

Republicans seeking Wasatch County Council Seat A include Rachel Kahler and William (Brett) Vance.

Vance is Wasatch County’s self-proclaimed “America First” candidate. The former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot and test pilot said it’s time to bring conservative values back to the County Council. 

“We have a very clear set of values in this party, and the voters elect us because they trust we will vote on their issues the way we said we would,” Vance said. 

At April’s GOP nominating convention, Vance was the only confirmed party nominee who earned more than 60% of the vote. 

Kahler, a former Heber City Council member, said she wants to run for Seat A to continue the fight for responsible growth. She chose signature gathering rather than the convention route and was not considered at the nominating convention. 

Kahler said she is most proud of her willingness to work with fellow councilors. She asserted that transportation is a major issue in Wasatch County, but so is public trust, communication and growth. 

“For me, the biggest thing is communicating to the public what is going on,” Kahler said. 

The winner of the June primary election will face Democrat Patrick Saucier in November’s general election. Saucier was the lone Democratic candidate to submit his candidacy for Seat A. 

How to vote

The primary election will determine who earns their party’s vote for office. Several of the candidates will go on to face Democrat or unaffiliated challengers, such as in the elections for county sheriff and Seat A on the County Council.

Other elections, such as the clerk-auditor race, will almost certainly be secured after the primary election, as no other candidates have emerged.

Ballots were mailed to registered Republicans on Tuesday. There is no county-level Democratic primary election this year. All ballots must be received by the county offices by June 23, which is also when in-person voting will take place. 

Secure ballot drop box locations are open 24 hours a day beginning June 3 and close at 8 p.m. on Election Day. Early in-person voting will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on June 15, 16, 17 and 18 at the Wasatch County Administration building. Election Day voting will be held from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the same location.

The post Here’s who is on the primary election ballot in Wasatch County appeared first on Park Record.

Representatives from the Utah Department of Transportation informed the Heber City Council on Tuesday that they are considering redesigning the controversial Heber Valley bypass in line with some suggestions given by Wasatch County’s elected officials. 

The new highway will divert through traffic from Heber City Main Street. UDOT’s preferred route, Alternative B, cuts through the North Fields — a freshwater wetland area that has been used as farmland for generations — between Potters Lane and 900 North instead of keeping traffic on U.S. 40 between the two roads as Alternative A does. 

UDOT’s announcement of its preferred route in January sparked division among residents that sprouted into protests during the 60-day public comment period, which ended in March. 

During that period, the Wasatch County Council wrote a letter asking that the bypass be shifted east, as close to U.S. 40 as possible, to protect the North Fields.

The letter said the realignment would prevent bisecting existing farmlands and better align with the county’s goals of preserving open space and establishing conservation easements in the North Fields. 

It also argued that the realignment would better protect groundwater. The entire project area for both route alternatives is in the contributing area to the Heber Valley Aquifer, which is part of the most protected aquifer class in Utah for its pristine water quality. 

UDOT has maintained that significant groundwater contamination will not occur because mitigation measures will be included in the design and approved by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 

The County Council, meanwhile, believed realigning Alternative B closer to U.S. 40 would pose the least risk to the aquifer because U.S. 40 already has mitigation measures in place. 

The County Council’s letter was also signed by the Midway City Council, Charleston Mayor Doug Clements, Sen. Ronald Winterton, Rep. Mike Kohler and all members of the Heber City Council except Mike Johnston and Sid Ostergaard.

UDOT is considering “potentially shifting the North Field alignment a little bit further to the east,” said project manager Craig Hancock. They haven’t yet determined exactly how much further east that would be.

UDOT Senior Environmental Program Manager Naomi Kisen said if the bypass was “shifted all the way to close where (U.S.) 40 is,” it would perform “rather similarly” to Alternative A, which has slower travel times than Alternative B on U.S. 189, U.S. 40 and Main Street.

“Every change we make does affect our travel time. It also affects the traffic volumes that we’re pulling. It’s about trying to find that happy place, where you’re not losing too much of the performance, but you’re also kind of avoiding the impacts that you’re trying to avoid,” Kisen added. 

UDOT is implementing another design change in response to a letter sent by the City Council during the public comment period. That letter focused on local impacts, traffic and safety concerns identified by city engineer Russ Funk.

The proposed bypass design would require pedestrians and cyclists traveling on trails to take a half-mile detour to cross the Midway Lane interchange. Funk was concerned that those unwilling to take the detour would jaywalk, increasing the potential for traffic accidents.

“We’ve added in a sidewalk through that interchange, with ped(estrian) crossings across the ramps that’ll be coming in,” Hancock said. “We’ve also added in a bike lane in the shoulder of the road as well, so anybody who wants to just ride a bike through, they can do that.”

Additionally, UDOT will address the foremost of the City Council’s concerns identified in its letter. 

The raised bypass connection between the western bypass and U.S. 40, leaving the city to the southeast, runs along 1300 South in a developed area surrounded by homes and businesses. The City Council asked that the elevated roadway be shifted south into undeveloped land to minimize impacts to residents.

“We’re just evaluating it right now but just wanted to let you know that we are going to take a look at that,” Hancock said.

Heber City Mayor Heidi Franco called the potential bypass redesigns the “best news (she) could have heard.” City Councilor Yvonne Barney agreed. 

“I know a lot of the citizens are concerned, and I think there were some who felt that it was a lost cause. And they were being told by many sources that, ‘You can’t argue with UDOT. UDOT won’t listen to you, so why even bother?’” Barney told Hancock and Kisen. “I’ve always appreciated the two of you because you’ve always been very respectful and considerate of the fact that we know our citizens here are very … sensitive about the changes that are coming forward.”

UDOT plans to release its final environmental impact statement, including its final route, by the end of the year. That document will also include UDOT’s responses to questions and concerns raised in the over 700 public comments received. 

Then, UDOT will submit a record of decision to the Federal Highway Association and begin determining funding sources for the $760.5 million project — a price tag Kisen has acknowledged could increase by the project’s horizon year of 2050.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will not formally weigh in on UDOT’s plan to mitigate groundwater contamination until UDOT applies for a Section 404 permit during the design phase. 

That’s also when UDOT will come up with a plan to protect at least 2 acres of wetlands, canals, ditches and perennial streams for every acre impacted — which is 54 in Alternative B’s current design. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will also approve or deny that plan.

The post UDOT considers redesigning the Heber Valley bypass after elected officials raise concerns appeared first on Park Record.

The Wasatch County and Heber City councils are working to prevent future development in the North Fields wetlands, which have primarily been used for agriculture for generations. The collaboration is a response to the Utah Department of Transportation’s plans to build a new highway in the area to divert through traffic off of Main Street.

The councils are seeking to strengthen a 2019 memorandum stating that zone changes, municipal annexation and extension of urban services into the North Fields “should be avoided” to preserve the wetland area for agricultural use.

“I think ‘avoided’ is not a strong enough word,” said County Councilor Luke Searle at a joint meeting in February.

Since then, officials have added other strategies to preserve the North Fields to the memorandum. The updated language would create more stringent protections by restricting Heber City from expanding into the North Fields, particularly past 900 North on the west side of U.S. 40.

The current draft asks the county to zone the North Fields only for agricultural purposes, allowing only one residential unit per 20 acres. 

Additionally, the memorandum reaffirms Heber City’s commitment to preserving the land by purchasing land and conservation easements in the North Fields. 

These will be funded from the North Fields preservation fee, a one-time charge of $2,500 per unit paid by developers building in the North Village Overlay Zone. 

The zone encompasses about 95 acres at the intersection of River Road and U.S. 40, which were annexed into Heber City in December 2024. The zone and the North Fields preservation fee were established in January 2025, when the City Council approved development agreements for The Crossings and The Slope developments, the latter of which broke ground last week. 

The councils have not yet decided what portion of the North Fields to preserve. An initial map by the County Council targeted almost the entire North Fields. The City Council is more interested in preserving a slice of land between existing U.S. 40 and the bypass route, north of 900 North and south of College Way.

“I don’t intend our preservation to be little plots of land in the middle of nowhere,” City Councilor Aaron Cheatwood said during Tuesday’s meeting. “I’m really worried about everything that comes next to the highway. … I’m trying to have a developer mindset and saying, ‘If there’s a brand new road, there’s a lot of incentive to build something.’”

Cheatwood compared the conservation plan to the establishment of Central Park in New York City in that it gets ahead of future population growth and development. 

But Mayor Heidi Franco pointed out that purchasing land and establishing conservation easements in the North Fields would be a “ginormous project.” 

She estimated the land between the existing U.S. 40 and the bypass route would be valued at close to $100 million. 

“Conservation easements are usually half the value of that,” she said, pulling from her experience on the Wasatch Open Lands Board. “Of course, there’s a lot of existing residences there, too, where it could increase the costs for any conservation easements.”

The high cost of the project is why the City Council wants financial participation from the county and possibly other municipalities like Midway, Daniel and Charleston.

“If we’re going to commit in a contract, ‘This is where we’re putting our preservation fees,’ I would like the rest of the county to also participate,” said City Councilor Mike Johnston. “Of course, the county is half of Heber City, so we’re really going to give three-quarters of this.”

In recent discussions, many elected officials have questioned whether updating the memorandum will serve its intended purpose.

During the County Council’s discussion on April 1, resident Pam Patrick commented that a memorandum of understanding “does not mean a whole lot” unless it has “teeth.”

County Councilor Mark Nelson reassured her that “the county and Heber City have never been more aligned or worked more closely together.”

But as Heber City Attorney Jeremy Cook pointed out, it could be difficult to force future elected officials to honor the memorandum.

“Certainly, there are issues that we agree to, development agreements, where we do bind future city councils. But that gets very questionable with binding future city councils to policy decisions, such as, ‘We will never annex this,’” he said. 

Cook continued, “I think there are certain things that we could have in a binding agreement, like, ‘We agree that we’ll put our money in here if you guys will match it.’ And if we didn’t, then that agreement would just terminate. But we’re going to have to think seriously about whether or not we have certain language in here that binds future city councils indefinitely to a policy decision.”

Franco suggested that preventing Heber City’s annexation into the North Fields may be most effective if it is officially implemented in the city’s annexation policy. 

“(Memorandums of understanding) are like pie crust promises,” she said. “They can easily be broken.”

The memorandum of understanding will continue to be negotiated by the county and city before adoption at a later date.

The post Wasatch County, Heber City negotiate North Fields protections ahead of bypass construction appeared first on Park Record.