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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 year, Smith said he prefers the inflation-tied approach and agreed to the commitment pending details.
"I more agree with that last one than not raising at all," he said, answering directly when Maxwood asked for a commitment.
Smith said commissioners should be paid for full-time responsibility but did not endorse a specific dollar figure for current salary levels. He said a newly elected commissioner should review compensation in context of comparable counties and the actual workload.
On commission staffing and organization, Smith described a two-step approach: first, audit day-to-day workloads to see whether positions perform essential functions; second, only consider reductions after careful evaluation. "If that is the case, I mean, for taxpayers, we should do those kinds of things," he said, adding he has made difficult personnel decisions in his current county role.
He expressed a preference for keeping a three-commissioner structure, saying it aligns with a principle of smaller government, while acknowledging the downside that absences can block measures.
On public-health measures during the COVID era, Smith said he would prefer messaging to mandates. "I tend to lean more heavily on freedom rather than the public-health part," he said, adding he would "error on the side of we're not doing a mandate personally." He acknowledged the trade-offs involved in public-safety decisions.
Smith also discussed economic-development tools and long-term commitments. He said he is generally skeptical of tax-increment financing and other business tax breaks, but he would consider them for projects that deliver substantial job growth. Asked about a $19.5 million initial payment and a $3.5 million-per-year, 15-year interlocal commitment to Provo for airport expansion, Smith said the airport investment can be justified for tourism and long-term goals but cautioned against long multi-decade commitments without benchmarks.
On transportation funding and the quarter-cent sales-tax options, Smith said the county should use revenue for proactive road and transit planning where growth is expected and emphasized measuring projects by ridership and cost-effectiveness. Regarding the Utah Valley Express BRT, he said ridership figures are the most relevant measure and described mixed anecdotal experiences with low late-night ridership balanced against utility for some riders.
Smith voiced support for agricultural protections and green-belt classification for qualifying farms but said the assessor's office must enforce compliance so tax breaks go only to those who qualify. On water, he said the county can lead on conservation in county-run activities but acknowledged much of water management falls to cities and rights holders.
He closed the interview with campaign contact information: smithforutahcounty.com, smithforutahcounty@gmail.com and the phone number 8015898371.
The interview transcript shows Smith combining practical county-office experience with a conservative emphasis on limited government, fiscal scrutiny and enforcement of existing laws. He frequently described positions in conditional terms and said he would evaluate details and data before making binding policy choices.
