Bret Millburn is attempting a return.

Millburn, who served three terms as commissioner from 2007 to 2018, filed as an unaffiliated candidate to challenge whoever prevails in the Republican primary between two-term incumbent Lorene Kamalu and Susan Lee.

“I’ve had quite a number of people express concerns about what’s going on at the county level and comments along the lines of, ‘Have you ever considered running again?'” Millburn told the Standard-Examiner. “I personally also have concerns, especially after the proposed tax increase last year and the reason cited for the tax increase.”

Millburn said there’s a difference between the way the county raised property taxes in 2017 while he was commissioner and the way the county raised property taxes last year.

“When I was in office, we actually had a plan,” he said. “We were very specific on what the tax increase would go toward, and we very clearly spelled out the steps we had taken to avert the tax increase for as long as we could.”

Millburn challenged using inflation as the justification for the recent increase.

“I think you saw the concern by the large number of people that showed up to those open houses, and people came away with no real answer other than all that was said was there was inflation,” he said.

“The way I look at it is, yes, there’s inflation, but you don’t just go raise taxes because of inflation. Tell me what exactly has been inflated. Show me where the money’s going to go and what you’ve done to minimize the increase.”

Millburn said it appears to him a “substantial” reason was “receiving COVID money and then using one-time funding on ongoing expenditures.”

In explaining why he chose the Seat B race and why he chose now to enter, Millburn said he was supporting former Bountiful Mayor Kendalyn Harris for the Seat A spot and that there’s frustration with parties.

“People are fed up with the parties,” he said. “They’re fed up with the extremes. The average citizen is not represented anymore.”

Millburn said he still considers himself a conservative and believes in a lot of Republican ideals but is not extreme.

“I think parties cater to the extremes on both ends of the spectrum,” he said.

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