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County commission candidate Richard Smith backs ICE cooperation, pledges inflation-tied tax cap and calls for staffing review
Summary
In an interview on the Utah County Republican Party podcast, Richard Smith, a candidate for Utah County Commission Seat A and a manager in the county assessor's office, said he would generally support the county's cooperation agreement with ICE, favors limiting property tax increases to inflation (2026 base year), and would audit commission staffing and budgets if elected.
Richard Smith, a candidate for Utah County Commission Seat A and a general manager in the Utah County Assessor's Office, laid out a range of positions on local governance during a Utah County Republican Party podcast hosted by party vice chair Charles Maxwood.
Smith said he would have supported the county's recent cooperation agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, framing that support as enforcing existing law: "I would have agreed to that as well," he said, adding that "if we don't like the laws, we should change the laws and if we do have the laws, we should enforce them." He told listeners the county should prioritize law enforcement that protects citizens who pay taxes and contribute to the community.
On taxes, Maxwood cited large past property-tax increases in the county. Smith responded that tax decisions must be grounded in objective review of costs and mandates, such as public-defender and sheriff's office expenses. When asked whether he would commit to not raising taxes or to limit increases to the inflation rate with a 2026 base…
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