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Paxman: will review commissioners' pay, staffing growth and property-tax history if elected
Summary
On a Utah County Republican podcast, candidate Isaac Paxman said he would review recent commissioners' pay increases, the commission office's staffing expansion and past property tax hikes before committing to changes; he favors targeted, "surgical" budget cuts and protecting employee pay where possible.
Isaac Paxman told the Utah County Republican Party podcast he will scrutinize county compensation and budget choices rather than accept or reject them on principle.
Asked about reported pay increases that moved commissioners from roughly $119,000 to about $170,000 over five years, Paxman said he has "mixed feelings" and would examine the justification. "I will take a look at it," he told host Charles Maxwood, adding he could personally absorb a pay cut but would not make a premature pledge without reviewing the county's rationale and long-term obligations.
On property taxes, which Maxwood said rose by "67% in 2019" and by "48% in 2024" according to audience reports, Paxman again said he needs to study the full record before judging. He described his default inclination as avoiding tax increases but acknowledged the county may have had compelling reasons.
Paxman criticized broad, across-the-board cuts as blunt tools and instead advocated a Provo-style approach of soliciting targeted savings from department directors. "We're not going to do across-the-board cuts... we're better than that," he said, advocating a consultative process that seeks operational efficiencies while maintaining services and employee compensation.
On commission office growth (reported expansion to 17–20 staff and hiring of a county administrator), Paxman called the size "a lot" and said he would look for opportunities to streamline staffing and redeploy employees rather than enact indiscriminate layoffs.
He expressed skepticism about tax-increment financing and redevelopment deals unless they demonstrably benefit residents and are conducted transparently and competitively. Paxman cited Spanish Fork's Costco deal and a Provo Ironton environmental cleanup as examples where RDAs/TIFs can work when they produce net public value.
Ending: Paxman repeated that many answers depend on records and context he plans to review if elected, and pledged to be transparent about his conclusions.
