ST. GEORGE — Voters were able to meet 14 of the 16 candidates running for City Council during a forum event hosted Thursday by the St. George Area Chamber of Commerce.
Staged at Utah Tech University, the event allowed voters an hour to meet the candidates directly and ask questions of their positions and reasons for running.
The format changed in the second hour as candidates came on stage one by one to give two-minute speeches. The remainder of the evening saw candidates in groups answer questions picked from the audience.
Among the candidates who attended the forum were Greg Aldred, Brad Bennett, Steve Kemp, Austin Hodges, Matt Heaton, Steve Jennings, Katheryne Knight, Kimball Willard, Marilyn Rigby, Aros Mackey, Paula Smith and incumbents Gregg McArthur, Jimmie Hughes and Dannielle Larkin.
Candidates Fabian Ortiz and Wendi Prince Buckley did not attend the event due to prior family obligations.
Common issues among the candidates and incumbents related to the area’s continuing growth. This primarily manifested in talk related to the area’s need for affordable housing and building an economy that doesn’t price younger individuals and families out of the community.
The perpetual issue of water was also mentioned on occasion, as were desires by some candidates for better communication between elected officials and their constituents. Others also wanted to see the City Council return to performing the business of the city and no longer allow itself to become mired in “culture war” issues.
The upcoming primary election set for Sept. 5 will whittle down the playing field to six candidates who will vie for three available seats. While residents will have the option of in-person voting if desired, the majority of the election is being conducted by mail-in ballots that are being sent out this week.
Prior to the candidates heading to the stage, St. George News approached those in attendance with the following question: What is the main reason you’re running for office and why should the voters care?
Note: For more information on the candidates, their positions and backgrounds, links to their campaign websites are posted with their names.
A video of candidate comments during Thursday’s forum was recorded by the Community Education Channel and posted to YouTube, which can be viewed at the bottom of this post.
Greg Aldred – website
“With our growth, I’m concerned about our power grid,” Aldred said. “It’s something we need to invest in for the future.”
Aldred also said he is a friend of the taxpayer and supports providing adequate funding for public safety. He also said he vows “to protect our kids,” which has become a common theme for some council candidates due to public concern over drag shows held in public, city-owned spaces.
Brad Bennett – website
“My main message is it’s time for the council to get back to serving the people,” Bennett said.
The St. George City Council has been making choices that do not align with the will of the community, and Bennett said he will strive to correct that if elected. This will include creating committees where people can come together to find solutions to various issues, as well as promoting better engagement between the citizens and city government in general.
Matt Heaton – website
“I’m running so my kids and future generations can live here, work here and play here,” Heaton said. “There’s not a lot of opportunity for that right now from an affordability standpoint.”
In addition to affordable housing concerns, Heaton also focused on economic development and creating better communication between city government and the business community.
Austin Hodges – website
“(St. George is) full of love and full of kindness,” Hodges said. “We have a unique feel to us and I feel we’re going down a road that’s diverging – we’re getting into camps and picking sides … My platform is: Unity makes community.”
The City Council has gotten “into the weeds” on certain issues and needs to return to running the business of the city, Hodges said, adding he wants to promote finding common solutions to issues facing the city and not scoring a “win” for one side or another. He also wants to see more median density zoning and affordable housing in the city.
Jimmie Hughes (incumbent) – website
“I’m running (again) to be the steady and ordered voice on the council,” Hughes said. “I’ve got the experience and we want to carry on with those common-sense policies that have made St. George so great.”
In addition to continuing “common sense” policies, growth is also the primary topic of the day for Hughes who said, “We’ve got to have steady and managed growth by following our master plan – let’s keep at it.”
Steve Jennings – website
“I’m concerned about some of the things that have happened with the council lately and I want to step up and be a part of the solution and make the city the best it can be,” Jennings said.
A part of Jennings’ proposed solutions entails focusing on economic development and creating better-paying jobs so people can afford to live in St. George.
“Raise the tide for everybody – that’s something I’m passionate about,” he said.
Steve Kemp – website
“We need to get back the business of running the city,” Kemp said. “The city is getting distracted by some national-social issues and it’s gumming up the system … It’s time to end the nonsense.”
Kemp added that he is very analytical and can use that to the advantage of the city through reviewing the statistics gathered in the annual city budget. He said he would use those stats to create new goals for the city to achieve while also promoting better communication between the city and its residents.
Katheryne Knight – website
“I’d like to see more representation in the under-represented areas of our community,” Knight said. “I feel there are some younger people, some older people and some people who are not from here, and I am some of those people in the community. I feel I can give voice to our concerns best.”
In addition to seeking to create a more inclusive community, Knight promotes efforts to create affordable housing and find ways to help people overcome economic hurdles related to the area’s cost of living. She also supports water conservation efforts and finding ways to address climate change.
Dannielle Larkin (incumbent) – website
Larkin said her primary reason for seeking reelection is to continue promoting and improving the city’s quality of life. During her time on the council, Larkin has been a notable supporter of the city’s outdoor recreational pursuits and facilities.
“I love to be a community builder and think that I am good at that,” she said. “Serving on the council has been a great opportunity to benefit everyone in St. George”
There are many topics Larkin said she cares about related to the city, including affordable housing, transportation infrastructure and finding ways for the city to be more business-friendly. The latter, she said, could be accomplished through revising certain city ordinances.
Aros Mackey – website
“I would like to see our ordinances and policies align to our values in the area, and I’d like to make them a little more clear,” Mackey said.
He spoke of an ongoing lawsuit between the city and the Southern Utah Drag Stars and American Civil Liberties Union in which a judge shot down the city’s denial of a permit for a drag show event. Mackey said the city lost that part of the lawsuit because of its uneven enforcement of city code that needs to be reviewed and refined.
Mackey also supports curtailing government interference in local business and wants to make the city more business-friendly.
Gregg McArthur (incumbent) – website
“We’ve caught lightning in a bottle here in St. George and we want to work to preserve that,” McArthur said. “We need to make sure we have water here, make sure we have good economic development, good jobs in the community and make sure we have good planning as we grow … I have the tools and experience to help guide that.”
A central theme of McArthur’s campaign is economic, and he has stated the city has “lagged behind” in wages compared with other markets. He hopes to bring more businesses to the city that create high-paying jobs for residents.
Paula Smith – website
“I’m running to cut waste, increase transparency and advocate for change in the property system,” Smith said.
While addressing those at the forum, Smith said the increase in property taxes over the years threatens to price people out of their homes and that needs to change. She also criticized the city for wanting to raise property taxes to fund a five-year public safety plan despite passing a $520 million budget earlier this year.
She further claimed the city’s spending is outpacing the actual growth of the area and vowed to cut wasteful spending.
Marilyn Rigby – website
“I feel the people need to be heard and I’m going to listen,” Ridgy said, adding people have told her the council isn’t open to talking or listening to them. “The council is just a part of the town. People are the town and should be heard.”
Additionally, Ridgy said she loves transparency in government and also focused on water concerns. She said she believes the city can a better at conserving water and that it needs to look into water recycling practices. She also said she advocates finding solutions through compromise and supports small business.
Kimball Willard – website
“The biggest reason I am running is the city budget is out of control,” Willard said. “It has grown 80% since 2018 while the city population base has only grown about 18% … The only way to offset a budget growing that fast is through taxation. At some point, if we don’t realign the budget, we’ll be forced to increase taxes.”
Willard is among the candidates who take issue with the city passing a $520 million budget for 2023-24 and believe it is severely bloated.
Willard also supports reviewing and refining aspects of city code he said he believes are unevenly enforced and unconstitutional.
Ed. note: It was incorrectly reported that the primary election was Sept 15, when it is Sept. 5. This error has been corrected in the body of the text and video report above.
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