July 11, 2024 |
Photo – Candidate Forum at PVCC – By Matt Copeland Bigfoot99
Four of the five candidates running for county commissioner met in Saratoga to answer questions and engage with voters.
Tuesday evening, county commissioner candidates Gwynn Bartlett, Sue Jones, Jimmy Hinkle, and John Espy gathered in the Platte Valley Community Center to hold a candidate forum hosted by the Valley Service Organization. Sitting commissioner Garrett Irene, who is also running in the upcoming election, was not present, having been called to respond to fires that evening. Roughly 30 people attended Tuesday’s forum.
Valley Service Organization volunteer Connie Patterson began by asking each candidate, if elected, what single part of the county government they will focus on.
Current Commissioner John Espy is running for a fourth term. Commissioner Espy said the most important aspect of the county government is setting the budget.
Sinclair Refinery Plant Operator, James Hinkle, agreed that the budget takes precedence. However, Hinkle said if elected, he’ll work to help people better understand what the budget means.
Commission Chairwoman Sue Jones is also running for a fourth term. Chairwoman Jones said the budget is the most important duty of the board. However, Jones said planning and zoning is a close second. The commission chairwoman said smart growth will ensure Carbon County continues to be a great place to live.
County Clerk Gwynn Bartlett was also asked what aspect of the county government will receive the most attention if she is elected. Bartlett said all parts of the county are equally important.
Patterson asked if the county’s existing planning and zoning ordinances need to change. Jones said the county is already doing a good job balancing growth. Jones said the county’s conditional use permits, used to regulate large-scale industrial projects such as windfarms, are considered some of the best in the state.
Bartlett was asked the same question. The county clerk said she will fight to ensure that Carbon County receives its fair share of tax revenue from those industrial projects.
Hinkle said he remembered a time before the current planning and zoning ordinances, when the county was littered with junkyards. Hinkle said the current ordinances are tough but fair.
Espy said development is different across the county. What works in Hanna won’t work in the Little Snake River Valley. Espy said the planning and zoning ordinances need to take those differences into account while also limiting unchecked growth.
VSO member Patterson said 50% of Carbon County is owned by the federal government. In 2021, the county adopted the Natural Resources Management Plan to give the local government a say in what Washington DC wants to do with the county’s public land. Patterson asked if the plan was working.
Espy said legally, the federal government must consider the plan when doing anything in Carbon County. Espy added that the Biden administration hasn’t been following the law.
Jones agreed that the Biden administration has tried to ignore the Natural Resources Management Plan. Jones said as a whole, the plan has served its purpose.
Hinkle said the federal government hasn’t operated with the Natural Resources Management Plan in mind. However, Hinkle said without the plan, the county would have no legal recourse when Washington DC oversteps its boundaries.
Bartlett said the entire state relies on the Natural Resources Management Plan to protect our natural resources and she is in the process of learning more about how it works.
Time constraints prevented the commissioner candidates from taking many questions from the audience.
