Santa Clara candidates at county forum emphasize water storage, housing limits and opposing property-tax increases

At a candidate forum hosted by the Washington County Republican Women at the Dixie Center in Santa Clara, candidates for mayor and city council addressed water supply and storage, housing affordability and density, city budgets and property taxes, the local power system, and plans for the downtown historic district and orchard.

The forum included statements from absent candidates Kristen Hinton and Mark Hendrickson read to the audience, opening remarks from several council members and candidates, and a question-and-answer session with voters. Ballots were noted to be mailed “tomorrow, the 14th,” and one announcement reminded attendees that ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Nov. 4.

Why it matters: Santa Clara is experiencing growth and infrastructure pressure. Candidates framed the immediate choices facing the city around securing water storage, responding to housing demand while preserving neighborhood character, and protecting municipal finances without large tax increases.

Water and infrastructure

Candidates repeatedly identified water as a top challenge. One candidate said the city has water rights that could produce roughly 385,000,000 gallons and credited past leaders for securing wells in Snow Canyon State Park. Forum speakers pointed to conservation measures already taken — including turf removal and “smart metering” — and said additional storage is needed to manage storm runoff and seasonal variability.

“We live in a desert,” a candidate said, arguing that building reservoirs and storage must be part of…