ST. GEORGE — All three Washington County seats are up for grabs this election season. Vying for Commission Seat B are incumbent Republican Victor Iverson and Democrat challenger Chuck Goode.
Iverson is seeking a third term on the Washington County Commission and hopes to continue defending the personal liberties of county residents while Goode wants to help people improve their lives through technology that promotes self-reliance and sustainability.
Ballots will be sent to voters starting Oct. 18, with Nov. 1 being the last day to request a mail-in ballot if none is received otherwise.
In-person voting takes place Nov. 8.
Victor Iverson | Republican | Incumbent
A native of Southern Utah, Iverson is seeking a third term as a member of the Washington County Commission. Prior to serving as a county commissioner, Iverson worked for Sen. Mike Lee’s Office where he focused on public lands issues.
Why are you running for County Commission Seat B?
“It really comes back to the fact that I absolutely love Washington County.” Iverson said. “Its the county I grew up in. County government is a place where you really can affect a lot of good for the community that you live in. And I think for anybody that’s in elected office, you need to be in it, for that reason that you want to make a difference and a positive impact in your community.”
Iverson also said he believes the county, like the rest of the county and the world, it at a crossroads of sorts because of the issues it currently faces and seeks to continue defending the personal freedoms of county residents.
Issues facing the county
“Water is a big issue,” he said.
Washington County has been working closely with municipalities on water conservation, as well as the creation of a countywide reuse and secondary water system, the commissioner said.
“We have to utilize the resources that we have now better than we have in the past,” he said. “This year alone, the (Washington County Water Conservancy District) will be doing major projects for three reservoirs that are coming online, and planning the fourth one. There are also different projects with expanding storage capacity that we’re working on. Those are our big projects with water.”
Transportation and infrastructure and how to best deal with the county’s ongoing growth are also on his mind, Iverson said. He also continues to support the building of the Northern Corridor.
“The county also has a unique role in working with our cities (on infrastructure) and has Utah as a partner in long-term planning,” Iverson said.
Managing growth in a way that doesn’t sacrifice the quality of life in Washington County is another one of Iverson’s goals and concerns. He doesn’t believe in the idea of putting a moratorium on growth, as that can present its own collection of problems that can include hindering the efforts of young people and families to find homes in the county.
Most of the growth in the county also happens within the cities, leaving the county officials to plan on a more regional level with various partner-agencies. A lot of that includes planning for the future, Iverson said.
“Growth is complex, and I think we need to be conscious that the community that we live in is a community that grows – and I say this a lot – a community that grows without losing its soul,” he said.
Chuck Goode | Democrat | Challenger | Website
Goode has lived in Washington County with his family for the last 25 years has a long career in engineering and technology that includes working for NASA. He also has a background in local volunteering through the Switchpoint Community Resource Center, Habitat for Humanity and other programs. Politically, Goode currently serves as the chair of the Washington County Democrat Party and is a former candidate for St. George City Council.
Why are you running for County Commission Seat B?
“The real reason I am running is to help people,” Goode said.
Goode said he hopes to improve the lives of Washington County residents through laying the groundwork for a long-term solutions that promotes self-reliance and sustainability. This would be accomplished through the adoption of preexisting technologies, like solar power and atmospheric water generators, that could be included in new construction.
“These innovations are here,” Goode said. “They’re available.”
These are systems Goode said he would like to see become standard on new homes as a way to help them be more self-sustainable while also helping reduce overall water and power use. While some people have bulked at the idea due to the potential cost of it, Goode said that “in the long run, it’s a wonderful investment” as people come to live with lower energy costs and consumption.
If elected to the commission, Goode said he wants to work with area developers to make the jump to more sustainable homes like he imagines a reality.
Issues facing the county
“Everyone is concerned about water,” Goode said.
Along with promoting the use of atmospheric water generators (machines that draws in humid ambient air and condense it into drinking water), Goode also wants to see stronger water-use regulations.
The water regulations recently adopted by municipalities across the county, which are touted as being among the strictest in the state for new construction, do not go far enough, he said, adding that stronger regulations should be accompanied higher fees for water use in general.
Secondary and reuse water must also be utilized in homes more, he said.
Concerning the Lake Powell Pipeline, Goode said it is not a viable solution to the county’s mounting water needs. Instead, the Washington County Water Conservancy District needs to look at other long-term options for water use, he said.
“Our economy will die when we run out of water,” he said. “We need a long-term solution that works.”
Goode is also focused on issues relations to transportation infrastructure which he said isn’t keeping up with the county’s continuing growth. However, he does not support the building of the Northern Corridor.
“We don’t need the corridor,” he said. “We need a rapid transit, or smart transit system so people don’t use their cars as much.”
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