Where I Stand

Growth.  We are currently experiencing the most aggressive growth we have ever seen. People want to live here and it’s understandable why. Our economy depends on that growth. However, we also have a responsibility to preserve and protect what it is that makes Hurricane a desirable place to live. The city has been pro-active and has recently completed a new General Plan. My intention is to follow that General Plan. I’m not in favor of making exceptions and re-zoning parcel after parcel from agricultural for high density housing.  I’ve watched St George, over the last few years, completely change… not in the way I’d like to see Hurricane go. We are a vacation hot spot and I welcome the tourists and visitors. However, I don’t want Hurricane to become another Park City. We have a lot of vacation rental properties, which are great. We have many areas that are still zoned and will be built out with more vacation properties. I don’t believe that it would be wise to continue re-zoning more areas for that against our General Plan. I am not anti-growth. But I am in favor of wisely planned growth.

Water is also a major issue.  We began this year with the most intense drought this area has ever seen. Our ground was so dry that it didn’t even register any moisture in it. Lake Powell and Lake Meade are down to nearly one third capacity; the lowest they have ever been since being filled. Then in June, things took a turn and we have had the best monsoon season of summer rains that we have ever had. That’s the way it is living in the desert. We never have a steady or constant supply of moisture. It’s either drought or flooding. My hope is that we will have an amazing winter that will bless us with a replenishment of water for our lakes and streams. I acknowledge our dependence on God for our water. My family along with many of our friends and neighbors have prayed mightily for rain and our prayers have been answered. We need to continue to pray for God’s hand to bless us with all of those things that we stand in need of. Water has been a big issue and will continue to be especially in the midst of a drought like we are in.  Acquisition as well as conservation are topics of discussion that have been ongoing and need to continue. Construction begins this fall on a new reservoir near Toquerville and another one following soon after in Warner Valley. We need the Lake Powell Pipeline. We need the rain and snow to continue to bless our land. We need God. We need to be wise in our stewardship of the water.

Government overreach: Now that we have experienced a world pandemic with Covid-19 we have seen the behavior of those in government with power.  Their ever encroaching ideas would have us all at a standstill and under their thumbs at every moment if we let them.  We can’t allow that to happen. In these United States of America, Government answers to the citizens, not the other way around.

My priorities:

1. Keep government subject to the people and not the other way around.

2. Allow the citizens as much freedom as possible while protecting our way of life.

3. Keep costs and spending down and no increase of taxes.  Reductions where possible.

4. Granting zone change requests as a rare exception rather than the rule.

5. Listen to the citizens.