Incumbent Garfield County Sheriff Danny Perkins faces challenge from former Deputy Eric Houston

Incumbent Danny Perkins (left) and challenger Eric Houston are each running for Garfield County Sheriff in the November 2022 general election | Images courtesy of the candidates, St. George News / Cedar City News

PANGUITCH — The most prominent contested race on Garfield County’s 2022 election ballot is that of sheriff, with incumbent Danny Perkins facing a challenge from one of his former deputies, Eric Houston.

Garfield County Sheriff’s vehicle, Panguitch, Utah, July 23, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

Cedar City News recently spoke with both by phone and asked about themselves and their respective candidacies. Following are excerpts and summaries of their responses, which have been edited for length and clarity.

The first topic each candidate addressed was their background and experience in law enforcement and leadership positions.

Perkins, who has served as Garfield County Sheriff for the past 16 years, said he has a total of 36 years of law enforcement experience.

Perkins said when he first became sheriff, the county jail was basically a place to warehouse inmates.

“Today, we are one of the most respected jails in the state of Utah, no doubt about it,” he said. “We have some of the most extensive programming. I’ve grown the department to meet the times.”

Vehicle in Pioneer Day parade supporting Garfield County Sheriff candidate Eric Houston, Panguitch, Utah, July 23, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

Perkins cited Garfield County Sheriff’s Office’s involvement in multi-jurisdictional activities, including participation in the Iron Garfield Beaver Task Force.

“We’ve got a lot of specialized equipment now that helps us serve warrants and make high-risk arrests,” Perkins added.  “And if we need outside help, we have access to the SWAT team itself. So, that has all been generated under my watch.”

Houston also has an extensive law enforcement background, having worked as a Garfield County Sheriff’s deputy for 21 years. He also served as mayor of Panguitch for five-and-a-half years. Before that, he was on the city council.

Houston noted he was working as both mayor and a sheriff’s deputy during the time of the Brian Head Fire in summer 2017.

Houston called the catastrophic fire “quite an eye opening experience” that required him and other Panguitch officials to deal with various related problems, including issues involving the watershed and Panguitch’s municipal water supply. 

Additionally, Houston said he has owned and operated multiple businesses over the years, starting from when he was 21 years old.

Incumbent Garfield County Sheriff Danny Perkins talks to a spectator during Pioneer Day parade, Panguitch, Utah, July 23, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

Houston also briefly spoke of why he has chosen to run as an independent in the sheriff’s race.

“If I were going to run for a county commission seat, I would probably be running as a Republican,” he said. “But as with the law, the law doesn’t really care what affiliation you have. It shouldn’t. It should be neutral and only go off of facts. That is my belief. I’ve been a Republican my entire life, but to serve as the sheriff, I think you need to serve everyone.”

Both candidates discussed monetary needs and challenges faced by the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office, which serves an area of more than 5,000 square miles yet which is populated by just over 5,000 residents. 

Notwithstanding its relatively sparse population, Garfield County is visited by millions of tourists each year, including more than 3 million visitors last year to Bryce Canyon National Park.

“Funding is an ongoing problem,” said Perkins, adding that Garfield County doesn’t have large stores like Walmart or Costco to generate tax revenue. “We depend a lot on federal funds and things like that. And sometimes they’re not too reliable, so it’s always a challenge.”

Search and rescue efforts can be costly in terms of money, time and resources, Perkins added, noting that this year alone has seen a total of 27 people who have been rescued by helicopter from slot canyons and other remote areas.

Eric Houston sits at the U.S. Secretary of the Interior’s desk, Washington, D.C. in 2018 | Photo courtesy of Eric Houston via Facebook, St. George News / Cedar City News

“I have to have dedicated personnel,” Perkins said. “We don’t have a B team. We are there for the protection of our citizens and the people that visit our county. If we’re not there, there’s not a B team to take up the slack. The guys I’ve got totally understand that and they’re up for the task.

“They’re the most dedicated bunch I have ever seen,” Perkins added. “That all comes down to leadership. I mean, I have to be there right alongside them.”

“You’ve got to be there every day. And you need to be able to recognize the problems and surround yourself with staff to help you fix the problems because it’s not a one-man show.”

Houston, meanwhile, said he places high importance on the ability of the sheriff’s office to work collaboratively with other agencies, as well as with the community as a whole.

He also said working with the youth needs to be a top priority.

“Really, to stop the drug problem, we’ve got to do it with our youth,” Houston said.

“It’s also about respecting the people we serve, reaching out to them and being creative in how we address issues,” Houston added.

Houston said that given the relatively small number of deputies, the size of the county and the high number of visitors, he thinks they do an “excellent job of getting everything taken care of … with such limited resources.”

However, Houston also said he sees staff morale as the biggest problem that Garfield County Sheriff’s Office currently faces.

“There’s nine or 10 employees who have left in the last three years,” Houston said, adding that he himself is among them. “I think a lot of those may have stayed on longer if morale wasn’t as poor as it is.”

Parade float occupied by supporters of incumbent Garfield County Sheriff Danny Perkins, Panguitch, Utah, July 23, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

Toward the end of his interview, Perkins defended his record over his past 16 years as sheriff and said he’s committed to serving for four more years.

Perkins said his record speaks for itself.

“I would tell (voters) to look and see what I have done,” he said. “I have never let anybody down. I will listen to your problems, I will always be there for you. I answer my phone 24 hours a day, every day. If you’ve got a problem, you will need to call me.

“If you look at my record and look at where I’ve brought this department, there’s no question who to vote for,” he added. “I will be here for the citizens of Panguitch.”

Houston, on the other hand, said he believes it’s time for a change and that he’s more than willing to make that happen.

“I’ll bring an unbelievable work ethic to the office,” Houston said. “I’ll put in as much time as needed.”

“I feel I’m willing to look outside of myself and receive help from other agencies and other people,” Houston added. “I don’t believe I have the answer to every question. I want to work with people. I want to work with the other communities and other departments … and see what we can accomplish. See where it leads us, rather than fighting amongst ourselves all the time.”


Check out all of St. George News’ coverage of the 2022 election by clicking here.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

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