BOUNTIFUL—It’s election time and candidates in cities across south Davis are getting out meeting voters and sharing their platforms. Last week, candidates vying for three Bountiful City Council seats came out to a Meet the Candidates night hosted by the League of Women Voters. 

Candidates for the three open seats are incumbents Kate Bradshaw and Richard Higginson, Chase Hathaway, Matt Murri, Bob Lindsay and Harris Smith who was not at the event.

“The time was right for me,” said Murri about running. “I’m a firm believer in the power of family and community. I grew up here. My roots run deep.”

“I’ve lived in Bountiful for 30 years,” said Higginson. “I’m running again because I feel like there is unfinished business that I want to see through to completion.”

“I’ve lived in many places across the world,” said Hathaway. “I love Bountiful and I plan on making it my forever home. I think I can bring a freshness to it but keep the character. A lot of small little changes can have an impact in years to come. We have to make wise choices on the council to keep our city how it is today.”

“I’ve been on the city council for five years now and it has really flown by,” said Bradshaw. “I’ve found the work of the city council incredibly interesting, engaging and very important.”

There are many in our community that look to state or national policies as where important things and big decisions happen, she said. “I firmly believe that how you feel about your parks, your streets, your home, your public safety is where you derive the most well being and quite frankly this is the level of government that we can make the most meaningful changes on things that are the closest to you.”

There was a Q&A on topics such as budget, affordable housing and zoning. “Affordable housing needs to be addressed not only here but along the entire Wasatch Front,” said Hathaway. “UDOT assumes a significant increase in traffic north and south and Bountiful is right in the middle of that.”

“Affordable housing is a sensitive topic,” said Murri. “Kids are leaving because they can’t afford housing. Maybe we should have conversations long term to change zoning to preserve family traditions Bountiful is built on.”

“The top four items in the city’s budget are power, water, roads and fiber,” Hathaway said.

Power is the most expensive, said Lindsay. “We should also fund the police and South Davis Fire, they need more equipment but I’m confident we can reduce expenses.”  

Bountiful gets awards every year on the budget, said Higginson. “It is not taken lightly. Our finances are the envy of just about everybody. Almost always our power rates are lower than our competitors.”

The city benefits because of a rigorous budget, he said. “We’re staffed as we should be and keep fees as low as possible. We know that is your money.”

Mail-in ballots go out on Oct. 31. The general election is Nov. 21.