Rachel Freeman, nurse practitioner, runs for Lehi City Council on growth restraint, safety and fiscal caution
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Summary
Rachel Freeman, a nurse practitioner and candidate for Lehi City Council, said rapid residential growth, traffic and pedestrian safety drove her campaign. She opposes broad tax incentives for developers, warns of long-term bond costs and calls for prioritizing sidewalks, police staffing and green space.
Rachel Freeman, a nurse practitioner and candidate for Lehi City Council, said rapid residential growth and a series of local development decisions convinced her to run so she could "be a strong voice for citizens on the council." The comments were made during a Utah County Republican Party podcast recorded in Lehi.
Freeman said she began volunteering locally and became involved after neighborhood fights over a mink farm and high-density housing near her home, and by witnessing pedestrian safety gaps. "We had a friend who just would volunteer as a crossing guard until we were able to get the school to get us a crossing guard," she said, describing a patchwork approach to protecting children near schools.
She framed her campaign around three priorities: balanced growth, safer streets and fiscal stewardship. On growth, Freeman said Lehi should favor commercial development that expands sales-tax revenue rather than subsidize large residential projects with public incentives. "We're very strong economically," she said, adding that in her view Lehi does not need broad tax breaks to attract businesses. She criticized the use of large incentives in desirable areas, saying that approach is better reserved for truly blighted neighborhoods.
Freeman named recent incentives she says troubled her. She told the host that Perry Homes received "about an $8,000,000" incentive to include higher-end retail (she cited Whole Foods as an example) and that D.R. Horton received about a $3,000,000 incentive tied to bringing in Trader Joe's. She questioned whether giving away future tax revenue is in residents' long-term interest.
On public safety, Freeman said she has spoken with police leadership and believes Lehi is "short over 30 police officers," tying staffing gaps to population growth and increased commuter traffic. On sidewalks and pedestrian access she pointed to the cost burden for homeowners under the current program: "The resident pays $277 a month for 10 years," she said, calling that level of cost problematic for longtime or fixed-income residents.
Freeman, who said she has worked more than 20 years in health care and volunteers at a county free clinic, described herself as a fiscally conservative candidate who would scrutinize bonds and large civic projects. She cited the cityparks master plan(what she described as a roughly $40 million figure) and bonds for a new city hall/library and for a fiber project as items she would re-examine for long-term affordability.
She said solving Lehi's traffic challenge will require working with UDOT, neighboring cities and the regional planning process; she told listeners she regularly meets with the city traffic engineer and has communicated with UDOT about commuter flows that cut through Lehi.
Freeman closed by asking residents to share input and provided campaign contact information: rachelfreeman.org (also rachelfreeman4lehigh.org). She announced she is endorsed by the Utah County Republican Party. The host, speaking as a Lehi resident, gave a personal endorsement at the recording's close.
Freeman's campaign priorities, as described on the podcast, leave pending questions about specific policy proposals and budget impacts; she said she would study bond terms, sidewalk-cost-sharing formulas and incentive agreements before making final decisions at the council level.
