FARMINGTON—Davis County Controller Curtis Koch has served the county for 23 years and now he’s moving on to become the Director of Operations for the Multi-County Appraisal Trust Group – a subset of the Utah Association of Counties. Koch’s role will be working at improving the statewide administration of the property tax system. His last day with the county is July 15.

“This will give me some new opportunities to grow,” he said. “I look forward to it.”

Koch was elected as the Davis County Clerk/Auditor in 2014 and took office in 2015. “I started with the county in 2002 as events coordinator at the events center then became the assistant director,” said Koch. “In 2011, I made the transition to the Clerk/Auditor Office as director of procurement and contracts. In 2013, I became Chief Deputy.”

In addition to his duties as Auditor, Koch was also working as the Clerk. “About two years ago the county announced the Clerk/Auditor Office would be split into separate offices – Clerk and Auditor. In 2024 the title of Auditor was changed to the Controllers Office,” he said. “The purpose was to help the public understand what the role of this office is.”

People hear audit and they think “oh they check numbers,” Koch said. “We changed the name to controller in an effort to help people understand so they can make the best decision when electing a controller.”

It’s like saying an air conditioning repair but it’s actually a car repair shop, he said. “The name Controller really shows what the job is.”

As Controller, Koch oversees accounting of county finance, the budget, financial analysis, managing financial internal controls and overall management of the department. “I’ve had a lot of opportunities to learn and grow,” he said. “It’s been rewarding and beneficial for the county as well.”

The Clerk’s Office is responsible for implementation of safe, secure elections, Koch said. “It’s the hard work of the Clerk’s Office to make sure we have one of the best election systems in the nation that allows people to fully understand the issues.”

Prior to vote-by-mail voting was 70%, he said. “Now it exceeds 90%.” 

There is a year and a half left in his term. “The term expires in January 2027,” said Koch. “The Davis County Republican Party will hold a convention and have a special election to decide who will fill the remainder of my term. Four people have filed so far.”

Koch grew up in Preston, Idaho and attended Utah State University and graduated with a degree in business administration. He went back to school and received a Masters of Business Administration from Weber State University. Koch earned his Certified Government Financial Manager certification from the Association of Governmental Accountants and became a graduate of the Advance Government Finance Institute from the Government Finance Officers Association/University of Wisconsin.

“I’ll be jumping into a new role,” said Koch. “I want to see the organization grow and develop to see where we are succeeding and where we can improve and bridge the gap between rural and urban to create an equitable tax system for all citizens throughout Utah.”

The county is growing and changing, he said. “I’ve watched it grow for the last 23 years. It’s a good thing. This is an opportunity for growth and change in county government. I look forward to how that takes place in the next four years.”

Koch said he’s grateful for this new opportunity in his life. “I’m excited for this new stage both professionally and for my family but I’ll always be grateful to Davis County.”