Six months after the assassination of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University, the incident remained at the forefront of the minds of Utah County commissioners at the annual State of the County address.

Commissioner Brandon Gordon said he was at the Spanish Fork Fairgrounds when he heard the news on Sept. 10 and experienced the up-and-down emotions throughout the day.

“Phone calls with my fellow commissioners and tears shed and emotions running high,” Gordon said Tuesday at the Utah Valley Convention Center in Provo. “I’m so grateful for our first responders who worked together during such a tragic time.”

Gordon called the event something that will “forever change” Utah County and continues to weigh on those who witnessed it. But he said it was also a time that saw the community rally around each other, expressing love for their neighbors, the Kirk family and others affected.

Added Commissioner Skyler Beltran: “It was a difficult day for Utah County, but it was also a powerful reminder of the dedication of our law enforcement officers, investigators, emergency responders and prosecutors, who still, to this day, continue to work tirelessly on that case.”

The tragedy was one of several topics addressed by the county commissioners in their annual recap of the past year. Much of their time was also spent recognizing the accomplishments of each of the departments they oversee.

Gordon, who gave his final State of the County address after choosing not to seek reelection, declared it a successful winter for the Utah County warming center, which gives homeless people a place to stay at night during the cold months.

In the second year of the warming centers, the county centralized the shelter into a single nightly location at the Public Works Red Building in Provo and added full-time security and bag searches.

“I can’t express enough gratitude to public works and the many partners in Utah County that volunteer and make this such a successful winter,” Gordon said.

Commissioner Amelia Powers Gardner, also not seeking reelection, recognized the county’s information systems department for powering the county and keeping systems running.

She said the department implemented an artificial intelligence-powered search tool on its website and used new AI tools to “streamline workflows” and save thousands of staff hours.

“(This allowed) employees to spend more time serving residents while reducing operational costs for taxpayers,” Powers Gardner said.

The Utah County Health Department balanced its budget, according to Powers Gardner, and implemented a separate health department tax levy.

“This will improve long-term accountability and ensure the public has clear visibility into exactly how their critical services are funded,” Powers Gardner said.

Elsewhere in the county, last year included the development of the jail mental health unit in partnership with the Utah County Sheriff’s Office and Wasatch Behavioral Health.

“We know that many of the individuals who enter our justice system struggle with mental health and substance abuse. … We’re working to address those issues at their core,” Commission Chair Skyler Beltran said.

Beltran credited Sheriff Mike Smith’s willingness to adopt mental health services at the jail. He also lauded the partnership with Wasatch Behavioral Health that provides services to residents countywide.

“They continue delivering essential services to our most vulnerable residents,” Beltran said.