She’s hoping to break that streak.

The former mayor and eight-year city councilwoman from Bountiful is running for the seat being vacated by Bob Stevenson.

Harris said she thinks it’s important that every area of the county is represented.

“And I feel like I have a good background and I’m ready to be able to hit the ground running and do some of the things that I feel like the county needs,” she said.

Ryan Comer, Standard-Examiner

Tax increase and spending

When talking about what the county needs, Harris highlighted the 14.9% property tax increase that was approved last year by the Davis County Commission.

“A lot of people were upset about that, understandably,” Harris said.

Harris said she’s heard from “tons of constituents” and the problem wasn’t just the tax increase but also the way it was communicated and portrayed to residents.

She said if one commissioner is saying 15%, another commissioner is saying 10% and another commissioner is saying 0%, then it doesn’t feel like there’s consensus that there’s a need or what the need is.

“And so I think that the communication is really important in looking at … if there really is a need, then what is that need?” she said. “Let’s be clear about what that money will be used for.”

Harris recognized there are costs associated with government that rise, so she would be more in favor of smaller, incremental increases when absolutely necessary rather than a big increase that surprises people.

She said in Bountiful there were times she voted against tax increases and times that she voted for tax increases. She said she voted for tax increases when they were tied to essential services and there was no other place she could see in the budget to cut.

Harris said the county needs to make sure it’s fiscally conservative and isn’t spending more than it has and also needs to have a vision for what should happen in the future to make sure finances are in order.

She believes she has “that fiscal piece” having overseen the budget in Bountiful for the last 12 years, calling it “a very lean, fiscally conservative city.”

Regarding cuts, she said it requires having people in place that have the will to make those decisions when necessary, even if painful.

“But I think that … leadership comes down to being willing to make those kinds of tough decisions,” she said.

Strategy sessions

Harris said that in Bountiful, strategy sessions were held annually and that she would lead those sessions along with department heads and the city manager to talk about priorities. Establishing priorities, she said, allows for a framework so there is some agreement and consensus on things you want to do and things you can’t do because of funding constraints.

Harris said that when she would lead strategy sessions, she would make the statement “If everything is important, then nothing is.”

She said because those strategy sessions were held, there was unity “in the fact that we knew that there were certain things we would pursue and certain things we wouldn’t.”

She said she would get requests for all sorts of different programs that initially would sound good or fun, but that they would come at a cost that was “little by little” in terms of staff time, supplies, materials or whatever was needed.

“It adds up,” she said. “And little by little, you’re growing government. And so I really felt like, for the most part, we said no, because we wanted to stick to the basics – streets, clean water, reliable electricity, parks, law enforcement. And so those things that are nice to have versus must haves went by the wayside, and we were clear on what those things were, because we had met together as a council and we had talked about what our priorities are. And we knew that we didn’t want to raise taxes unless we absolutely needed to.

“And so getting clear on what our priorities are really helped us to say no sometimes. And that’s what you have to do. And so I would love to take that perspective to the county where they are in a tough time. Budgets are tight and there are things that are nice-to-haves, but then, you know, I would love to be able to focus on what is statutorily required in each department and have that be our baseline for what we need to provide for residents.”

Disagreement and collaboration

In the context of a scenario that could happen on the Davis County Commission where three people may have different ideas, Harris said strategy sessions would help because principles are discussed and alignment is sought.

“Instead of focusing on being positional, what are our positions?” she said. “Focus on, ‘What are our interests’? And, ‘Do we have places where our interests overlap?'”

She said relationships of trust are also crucial.

“If we are truly friends, and if we’re willing to get to know each other and have a relationship of trust … if we have disagreements, it’s OK,” she said. “It doesn’t matter if we don’t agree on everything, but if we have good relationships of trust, then we approach the table in a better effort to actually find common ground and to find common interests. And we’re not as defensive. We’re not as focused on maintaining our positions.”

Harris feels that she is “uniquely qualified” to bring a culture of collaboration to the Davis County Commission. She said it’s a culture of working together and getting things done in positive ways.

She said because there are three county commissioners, it’s really important they are able to work together.

“And I bring that experience, not only having worked with other people on a city council, but as a mayor, you’re able to set the tone and you’re able to, as you lead meetings as a mayor, then you are able to make sure that every voice is heard from the different people in that meeting,” she said. “And you’re able to set the tone and insist on respect.”

Other areas of concern

In addition to the budget issues facing Davis County, Harris said there are issues with growth and water. She said she would like to see if there was a way to have the animal control facility without it costing $20 million, though she said she’s seen the current building and it’s small and old, so she believes an upgrade is necessary.

She said the feeling she gets from constituents and from her own experience is that the county “often is just putting out fires, kind of on autopilot, trying to just take care of immediate needs as they come up, as opposed to being able to look at a long-range plan and then budget for that plan and move forward in proactive ways.”

She said a priority for her is for the county to not be reactive but anticipatory.

Harris said the Davis County jail spending a million dollars a year on overtime is also “a critical piece” that needs to be looked at. She said that level of spending is unnecessary.

“And so I’d love to dig in with HR and the sheriff’s department to figure out how we can lessen that gap, how we can spend less on overtime,” she said.

Closing statement

In her closing statement, Harris said she has been endorsed by four former Davis County commissioners who are supporting her because they know it’s helpful to have had the 12 years of local government experience she has.

“And as a mayor, I’ve been able to not only have a front-row seat at the challenges Davis County faces, but I have been able to be in meetings where we’re talking about regional issues,” she said. “And so I have a good understanding of what the county is dealing with. And as a mayor, I have had the opportunity to lead meetings where there are issues that are divisive in nature, but the way that I handle it is by making sure that every voice is heard and working to find common ground. And so that skill will be crucial to have on the County Commission as we move forward.

“And I would love the opportunity to be able to bring my commitment to identifying priorities and creating a long-term plan for the county as well as getting our fiscal house in order.”

For more on Harris and her campaign, visit https://votekendalyn.com/

Contact Standard-Examiner editor Ryan Comer at rcomer@standard.net.