Bridal Lynn Harris, Bountiful mayor, says fixing Davis Countys finances is her top priority in commission bid

Bridal Lynn Harris, mayor of Bountiful, said she is running for the open Davis County Commission seat to "get our fiscal house in order" after what she described as a budget shortfall in Davis County. Harris made the remarks during a virtual interview hosted by the Davis County Conservatives.

Harris, who said she has served as Bountiful mayor for four years and on the city council for eight years, described multiple county-level budget concerns she has observed while attending Council of Governments meetings and joint city-county planning sessions. "It's not okay to be $4,000,000 in the hole," she said, calling for long-term planning rather than reactive tax increases.

Why it matters: Davis County faces a fiscal shortfall that has prompted a recent tax increase Harris criticized for how the process was handled. The county commission sets broad funding priorities and the candidates approach would shape spending on public safety, libraries, facilities and other county services.

Harris said her fiscal approach would begin with a department-by-department review to identify statutorily required services, personnel cost efficiencies and underused assets that could be repurposed or sold. "We need to look at HR, look at personnel," she said, adding that personnel is "always going to be the biggest cost." She cited a $5,000 county payment for a scholarship pageant as an example of discretionary spending she would scrutinize.

On balancing cuts and needed services, Harris said she supported a narrowly tailored tax increase in Bountiful to fund two police officers after reviewing the budget but opposed a larger IT-related property tax increase she judged excessive, saying those votes reflect "thoughtful leadership." She told questioners she would listen to department heads and conduct ride-alongs to better understand operations before proposing cuts.

Harris also raised concerns about county contracts and services: she said some cities that provided 911 dispatch have left the county and that the county has resisted refunding payments for those services. She called that a problem that shows the need for clearer financial control.

Asked about large county projects, Harris said she understands the Western Sports Park cost about $70,000,000 but has not seen the numbers to know whether it is paying for itself. On the countys new animal control facility, she said she opposed county funds subsidizing services that compete with private veterinarians and that she had not seen the current project status.

On governance and collaboration, Harris emphasized respectful conduct and regular priority-setting: "One of my most important values is to be respectful to people," she said, adding she would seek annual check-ins to identify county priorities. She told the group she instituted a public comment period and livestreaming in Bountiful and advocated holding county meetings at times more accessible to the public and improving outreach so residents know what the commission does.

Harris said she opposes unelected public infrastructure districts having taxing authority: "If you're not elected and... you're not accountable to people, then you shouldn't be able to have taxing authority," she said.

On the role of government, Harris said it should provide services residents cannot provide themselves (roads, water, police) while keeping costs low and that, where possible, community organizations and volunteers can support needs. A panelist asked her to consider the burden on taxpayers of welfare or homeless services; Harris said government should have limits and encouraged reliance on family or faith-based organizations for some needs.

Asked whether libraries should include sexually explicit materials, Harris said libraries should not have pornography or harmful materials and stressed protecting childrens access.

Harris closed by asking for voter support, saying she is prepared to bring municipal experience to county fiscal oversight. The interview was hosted by Tina Horlacher of the Davis County Conservatives and included questions from several members of the group.