Gil Almquist

No, I do not have any conflicts. I sold our business when taking office. We also had a residential lot downtown that we sold. We didn't want anyone claiming I voted a certain way to benefit me, my family or friends.

No. Never have. It's wrong. We are not partners with anyone, nor do we have any investments in local businesses or property. Pretty simple people really. Our only Washington County asset is our home.

Also no. My wife, Jill, and I have owned a small business for 35+ years. It was successful but not because we benefitted from any "deals" with anyone else. We were hired for quality and honesty not favors. That's also wrong. I also don't have ex parte discussions with developers. Neighbors are not in the loop when that happens. I have a third party with me as a witness so no promises are made in private.

More commissioners right now is more government and taxpayer dollars. The day will come when five may make sense. But three "at-large" commissioners are getting the work done and saving taxpayer dollars.

Yes. We need east to west travel options. Our ridges and rivers are beautiful, but they are a hinder to better travel and less congestion. I do not like the corridor close to homes. Where it is now in Washington City was not the commissioners choice. Where it is slated to go in the future was also not our choice by the homes. That was a group of environmental biologists who don't care about people. The corridor will NOT have hotels and homes or other development activity along it. Only a road and bike trail. I also want to protect our air. Cars idling waiting for lights is pollution.

I am the champion of open. Everything is transparent. I am also a citizen and back room deals or hidden spending is abhorrent to me. I don't hide anything. Those who have visited me and asked questions know I am an open book. Nothing under the rug.

You shouldn't have to GRAMA anything. Bring in any zip drive and in a few minutes you can have all financial records, minutes, etc. Whatever you want. We have a new program of putting even more on our website so you can view or download all financials and minutes.

I'll stay til midnight. The more we talk, the more we understand each other.

I feel I have saved taxpayer dollars. Being a small business owner, I know how to budget, not waste and still provide quality. I have done that at the county in so many areas. Construction savings (millions), honest but competitive wages, efficient work ethic that maximizes goals. Saving taxpayer dollars. I love the water issues that are working to stabilize supply and demand. I love reacquiring the old Washington County Courthouse and opening it to the public. I love the Children's Justice Center expansion to better help young victims of sexual abuse. So much more.

I would like to have succeeded in more housing opportunities to keep our children in the area. The world went crazy on prices during and after the pandemic, but there is hope with some visions I have about housing. I'm working on this every day. But remember, I'm not able to force cities or towns to do anything with housing, zoning or density. In the unincorporated county, I have helped us reduce controls by allowing homeowners flexibility in constructing additional housing units on their property. Not for short-term rentals though. Actually housing.

We already have set in place the required investigations. Some are ongoing by third parties. As commissioners, we don't investigate things out of our legal job descriptions. However, we are very much interested in the day-to-day workings in every elected office and department. I will not rest until the investigations are sufficient for the public to have full transparency and for wrongdoings to be properly dealt with.

No. If you knew the way that worked out, you would see the taxpayer actually was benefitted by the closing financial arrangement with the past sheriff.

In any way possible. I work well with all electeds. I'm a helpful partner with these large undertakings.

First safety and to avoid vandalism. It is open to the public from 7 to 7. Other arrangements can be made for special events that benefit the public for longer hours (parades, rodeo, etc.)

First off, no taxes were increased nor bonds secured for the parking garage or new county building. There has already been significant vandalism and some scary encounters for employees after hours. The other parking garages may find gates installed there too as I am told. It was built for employees per St. George City's requirements. However, we did say the garage would be open to the public with some extended hours.

Are you talking about the county building? The answer is yes. It provides a water barrier against ground water damaging the concrete surface. It prevents oil spills from damaging the concrete or making it harder to clean up. It was paid for through ARPA money not local taxpayers.

It was designed for open play. A liberal judge shut it down for all restricted choice of public use. We are trying to get them opened as originally intended with the help of Utah Tech's pickleball program and the local public association. We don't have a parks department, but may need to hire some individuals to operate it if the other avenues don't work out. Seriously, it was built to be open and I'm working towards that. We planned for safety and built to all specifications in the building code. That's not the reason.

I don't remember the total because it came in parts. But the nets and painting was somewhere around $20,000. But that could be off a bit.

That's never the case. The fridges??? There are two back-up generators, but NO fridges. Power back-up is required for the building to function and maintain data, emergency lights, etc. There is never an "ours not yours" attitude. Every penny we spend is for the public good.

No. First, this is a free country. Second, a moratorium shoots existing home prices through the roof. They are already too high. Third, it would kill a huge part of the economy. Many people would have to move away that are tied to the building economy. That would be many of our local children and their spouses. Lastly, the water supply is based with growth in mind. Yes, we are thriving, but the market has to dictate what happens in the economy, not government.

That's just not true for newly built hotels. They are required to use water saving laundry equipment. And yes, hotels and other big water users are required to meet Water District standards. But again, these are city questions. I can work with cities, but the county water standards are what we can hold commercial water users feet against the fire. In addition, the Washington County Water District is made up of board members elected from the major cities and a few at-large members with water expertise. We have one vote on that board.

Continue to follow water-wise building codes for residential and commercial structures. Still limit wasteful outdoor water use… except for trees. My favorite.

The water code is the plan and I intend to make sure they follow it. Xeriscaping can still be beautiful without using a lot of water. Also, pools that can use a pool cover should. They provide safety but also slow down evaporation. Pool covers are great both residentially and commercially.

It sounds interesting. The state legislature would certainly make that call through the state school board. I don't have any kids in school here, so it sounds beneficial to me. I would entertain the smarter school funding experts to see what that would cost in other taxes. Seniors can get tax relief for county property taxes already if they qualify. There are also some tax deferral programs.

But I emphasize. We DO NOT control any school taxes. This is a school board question.

Affordable Housing: I have several plans in the works to show design over density works. I also have suggested to the legislature a loan program that would help first-time purchasers. We have at the county passed building and zoning codes that will help with affordable housing. More homes on one property, higher density in some developments, etc. Again, 95% of the population in the county is in cities. They have all the power to help with attainable housing. Not a cop out. But we don't control what they do.

Current Use of TRT Funds: I would love to change the state "required" use of TRT funds for marketing to be turned over to local control. Currently it is at 47% to be spent on marketing. That may be good in Garfield County, but we have been discovered. I'd like to have the option to move more funds into trails, recreation opportunities, historic preservation for visitors to learn about our area, etc. By the way, the funds and where they are spent are all open for public review. A citizen board recommends where funds are spent. This is not a commission only decision. It's based on merits and how groups help the public.

Traffic: We meet multiple times per week on county road issues. City and county-wide transportation routes are discussed every month at our collective transportation meeting.

Public Safety: Always comes first. Properly funded, properly trained and properly keeping us safe. I love all our safety officers and firefighters.

I want to bring to light the true meaning of why we are called "Dixie." I want to preserve our urban forest for beauty and temperature reduction. I want to complete the trail system for recreation, health and the ability to see so many beautiful things in our county only visible by trails. I want to set new rules on how the federal government lets us fight fires. Especially before they get out of control. I want to help the arts thrive. Nothing provides fun and relaxation more than visual and performing arts. I want everyone to feel safe in their homes. I want to preserve open space while not infringing on property rights. There are ways to financially benefit the owners of beautiful land if they leave it undeveloped. I primarily want citizens to know I am one who listens, am open about what I do, conservative, and truly respect their rights as granted by our founding documents.

— Thank you, Gil