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GOP candidate Brimley opposes recent pay hike, proposes expanding Utah County commission to five members
Summary
Bill Brimley, a Republican running for Utah County Commission Seat B, says he opposes the recent commissioner pay increase and would favor expanding the commission from three to five full-time members while keeping total taxpayer costs roughly the same.
Bill Brimley, a candidate for Utah County Commission Seat B, said he does not support the county’s recent increase in commissioner pay and would prefer to expand the board from three to five full‑time commissioners and divide existing compensation among more members.
Brimley made the comments during an interview on the Utah County Republican Party podcast hosted by party vice chair Charles Max Wood. When the host noted that commissioner salaries rose from roughly $119,000 to about $170,000 over the last five years, Brimley replied, “I don't agree with the pay raise. What I would be in favor of … is five commissioners and my plan … would be to take the pay that we're paying three commissioners and pay five commissioners.”
Why it matters: Brimley framed the change as a way to increase representation without raising county payroll costs. He said five commissioners would remain full‑time and that per‑member pay would likely fall back toward the prior range of about $100,000–$120,000.
Brimley acknowledged the political reality that a change requires votes from colleagues. “If I'm one of three commissioners, I'm one voice,” he said, adding that he would support efforts to lower current salaries if the board could secure a partner vote. He said any staffing implications would need to be managed so the change did not increase net taxpayer spending.
Background and tradeoffs: The host cited past property‑tax increases and county budget growth as part of the broader concern motivating Brimley’s proposal. Brimley said he would be willing to consider staffing reductions where appropriate, but emphasized he would avoid unnecessary layoffs and would balance workload expectations if the commission expanded.
Next steps: Brimley said he would bring the proposal forward and vote for measures to lower salaries if he could secure support on the commission, but acknowledged the need to build consensus. He said detailed design — districting, at‑large seats or a mayor executive model — would require work and public input before implementation.
Brimley’s campaign contact information: brimleyforutah.com; brimley4utah@gmail.com.
Ending: The podcast concluded with the candidate reiterating that he is running to provide more direct accountability to Utah County residents and to encourage transparency in county budgeting and compensation decisions.
