Castle Country Radio Wrapped up its series of Meet the Primary Candidate events, which included primary candidates for Carbon County Assessor, Utah House District 67, Emery County Commissioner and Carbon County Commissioner. With the primary elections coming up on Tuesday, June 25, here are the candidates, in their own words, explaining why you should vote for them. Also included is links to the respective meet the candidate events for a more in depth look at every participant.
*Minor alterations have been made for grammatical purposes, but the content of the statements remains unchanged.*
Amy Schmidt-Peters
Thank you voters out there I hope that you will vote for me um I think I can provide the leadership that you need in that office. I’m a team player and I like to collaborate with others. I want to be able to do that for the citizens. It’s a public service office and I want to do my best there. I will get the certification that is required of me.
I do have a great background of leadership and financial resources that I can tap into so I know that I can do that readily. The other thing is I want to just help promote that office so that we have a transparent and resourceful office for you to come into and that we’re there for you. That means a whole lot because as a public service, you’re paying our wages, and I think it is so important for you to know where those wages are going and where those tax dollars are going.
That’s what I want to give to you so I look forward to your vote. If you have any questions whatsoever for me please go to my website at www.vote4amy2024.com; and I give more information of what I’m doing there and it gives more background about me. You can also call me at 435-938-8168 you can text me or you can give me a call and I’m happy to answer your questions thanks so much
Gillan Bishop
I am seeking reelection and I’m asking for your vote because I am the only qualified Republican candidate standing. And I know that this year being Republican it actually means something when you put forward and say this is my platform and this is my stance. It defines you as a person, it defines you as,” hey these are the things that we stand for.” I stand for limited government and I stand behind that because I will push back against state level control. Too often we have people that say that they are Republicans, that they want limited government and yet they will allow large scale government, state level, to creep into the local level and not reassert themselves.
I want to express that I know that I can do this job, and I have been doing this job. I know that I’ve met with hundreds of people. And the people that I’ve met with who have come in sat down, I’ve shown them the tools that we have at our disposal and how the process runs. I know that every single one of them knows when they leave that office that I am competent, I am professional, courteous and I am doing a good job for them. Without the few exceptions, I haven’t had any bad experiences when I’ve had a chance to sit down and talk to someone and to go through the process.
I know that in this day and age there is a need to have a voice and to make sure that your voice is heard, and I can be that voice for the people of Carbon County in the things that are important in the taxation world.
Christine Watkins
I think I have proven myself by the hard work that I have done. I’m known as being the representative that’s out on the streets with the people and meeting them, and learning of the problems that they have. I go to meeting after meeting with my constituents where I’m the only person that’s there supporting them when they’re having issues with the government. I don’t care whether it’s licensing, whether it’s DCFS, whether it’s fighting companies that want to shutdown the government or other companies. I will get calls all the time “so and so told me that you’re the person that can do this.”
I come from education, I’m well educated. I’ve had so many opportunities not only for training in leadership, but to use my leadership. And now that I’ve been in the legislature, one of the advantages that we have is that I truly am respected and trusted, and I can call the speaker and say, “so and so wants to be on this board I recommend them” and he’ll say,” that’s all I need to know”; and that has happened several times in this last year where he has called me and representative Chew from Uintah County. He and I work really well together in representing this part of the state, and we’re going to have two new Representatives come in, and we don’t need three.
It’s very disruptive, because it takes a long time to learn, and I know my opponent is saying that he’s going to go in and make all these changes. I’m going to tell you it isn’t that easy, and it doesn’t happen the way he thinks it does. I just feel that I’ve been doing a great job representing constituents, and I feel like this is not the time for me to be leaving. We’re to a tipping point, and I want to make sure we tip forward not backward, so that’s why I’m asking people to support me.
Tom Hansen
I listen, so Trevor Cowley does some gun manufacturing and some power coating, so I listen to that. We need to deregulate that. That’s one example. Up in the Basin we have a bunch of people weirdly, that are all about bees, and they produce honey and they’re like, “we over regulate that” and we don’t let them have enough acres. Here in Carbon County, we have Ashley’s Law that’s trying to be pushed and passed. Those things need to happen. We have violent criminals who are not being held accountable, and they need to be.
Here in Carbon County, we have some people who are out in East Carbon that have told me, “hey we need some stuff done” Mayor David Avery and some of them said,” hey we need some stuff done for here in our very rural areas when it comes to how we access our County Transient Room Tax (TRT) moneys.” State oversight says you have to spend them a certain way, we need to make sure those ways are eliminated and that we allow the county to spend those, I also talked with Casey hopes about that.
Those are the things that we need to do. We need to talk with our local leaders, our local constituents and we need to do what they’ve asked us to do. I need to serve you, you need somebody who’s going to represent you, not their own interest, but your interest. That’s what I’m here to do, I will represent you and your interest and I would appreciate your vote. You’ve got your ballot, fill it out, and I appreciate it. If you want more information about any stances I have, go to electtomhansen.com, or you can call me on my personal cell at 435-749-2411, because I want to listen to you.
Dennis Worwood
I I’ve had a lot of experience in government, I’ve had a lot of experience in various
subcommittees, or public lands, I’ve been on planning and zoning boards, I’ve been on Economic Development Councils, I’ve been on City councils so I have the experience.
I’m retired, I do have the time to do it. I have a great regard, a high regard for the people of Emery County, and I’ve met a lot of them through the years. They’re ingenious people, they’re hard working people, they’re problem solvers, they’re good-hearted, they’re people who want to do the right thing. And I’d just like to continue to be able to serve them. That’s why they should vote for me.
David Sebring
I think I bring a whole new perspective. Like I say, I haven’t served in a lot of these capacities, my real desire came when I’ve seen our employees struggle with no fault of their own on the tax increase. But I think I can bring a little different perspective to the Commission office. And having our own business to be able if other businesses want to come here as they start looking at cost of living and things that we can say,” hey it can be done here” it’s challenging.
I also believe I can just bring a different style of commission than we’ve had in the past. As far as coming from the private sector I think it’s important. I do believe I’ll have a learning curve on having your own private business, you can make decisions I know and in government there’s processes and steps, but I think we can adapt and kind of create a way to do some things that are a little bit different. But my desire is really that I love Emery County. We put a lot of money into the community to the kids, to the sports and to the stock show. So we believe in Emery County, we want to see it succeed, and I just feel now’s the time.
I’m not looking to be a long-term commissioner. I’m 42 years old. I mean I would hope for two terms to try to start us in a positive direction and so but I assure you if I can if you guys trust me we will build this County and we’ll steer it in the right direction.
Max Jones
I’m a business owner and land owner here in Carbon County. I love this County, been here all my life. I’m not part of the good old boys club already, I’ve got a different way of thinking of going in there uh taking care of things with some different ideas.
I’m not afraid to ruffle feathers uh to go in and ask the tough questions and ask people you know if they don’t want to hear it you’ve already heard people don’t want me up in there because
I ruffle feathers and I go against the grain. I’m going to be the voice of Carbon County, it might not be everybody’s voice at once but we’re going to do what’s right. We’re going to try to change some things and bring some different events and great things in this County so taxes don’t keep going up; and to keep business owners here, keep attracting business and different businesses here to see what we can do for water and the future of our kids and businesses in Carbon County.
Jarred Haddock
I’ve spent most of my life uh you know even here a little bit of anonymity and enjoying the time
working just in the background, not trying to promote myself in any way shape or form. To me it’s all about leadership, and leadership is all about service it’s not about recognition.
It’s not about the money, and my whole purpose is I just felt that I could have an impact. And I felt that I’ve managed budgets that are the same amount of money that is being budgeted right now for our County; and feel that I can bring that added experience. You know bring kind of an
international and National approach to some of our local problems. Because they’ve had issues, and they’ve had a lot of the same issues, why are we reinventing the wheel? Just utilize our partnerships and friendships from other people in other areas who are dealing with the exact same things that we’re dealing with here.
So really that’s where I’m coming in from. It’s just kind of as they say the “fresh perspective” out there that doesn’t mean anything bad about the other one but it’s being able to have an outside look in. I’m just an outside the box kind of person, a big picture guy.
Where to vote
We would like to thank everyone who participated in our meet the candidates series of events. We would also like to thank Utah State University Eastern and the Emery County School District for allowing us to use their facilities for this event. Primary election Day is Tuesday, June 25, with voting times and locations for both Carbon and Emery Counties being found here.