The Utah County Commission is a body of three people who make decisions that affect the lives of all 775,000 residents of Utah County, yet the public has little idea who they are and what they do. The Commission primarily deals with budgets and taxes which fund public safety, public health, transportation, infrastructure and land use throughout the County, mostly, but not always, outside of cities. All of these things are very important and deserve competent, focused, intentional leadership.

2. What unique qualities, attributes, skills and experiences do you possess that make you the best candidate in this race?

I am running because I believe in evidence-based decision making and best practices in government, rather than governing based on party loyalty or hot social issues. I bring 30 years of experience as an entrepreneur and technology executive in Utah County to the Utah County Commission. I have led organizations through times of both explosive growth and deep crisis. I have experience with large, complex organizations and I know how to create organizational efficiencies and keep teams moving forward. But, to be honest, I believe the qualifications to be a Utah County Commissioner are not actually professional or academic. The real qualifications are to be a person who is curious, thoughtful, possessed of firm convictions, but able to be persuaded by facts and logical argument, someone who cares about the people of Utah County and is aware how the policies they create affect the families of the County, especially the children of Utah County. Anyone, with any background, who has those qualities will make a good Commissioner. Those are the qualities I bring to the Utah County Commission.

3. Please explain your priorities if elected, as well as why you believe you are uniquely capable of achieving those priorities.

Growth is the greatest challenge facing Utah County. That growth has led to unaffordable housing, traffic congestion and increasing pressure on our limited water supply. I am focused on planning transportation, infrastructure and land use to create an affordable future in Utah County for our children and grandchildren so they don’t have to move to Arkansas to be able to buy a house. We can manage growth while maintaining world-class public safety, public health and preserving open space and agriculture. This will not happen without intense, continuous effort as the population of Utah County doubles over the next 40 years. I have dealt with rapid growth as an executive and I understand the organizational stresses that creates as revenue invariably lags growth. As a Utah County Commissioner, my goal is to put in place durable policies and plans that will guide growth in such a way as to make housing affordable in the future and keep the quality of life high.

4. Please describe how you view the importance of compromise in politics and provide an example from your own experiences that highlights your perspective.

As a Utah County Commissioner, I will be one of three people making decisions together. I can’t do much on my own. In order to be effective, I have to work with the other Commissioners; listening, persuading, compromising and arriving at workable solutions. For example, I am strongly opposed to AI data centers, but when a company proposed a data center for Spanish Fork which used closed-loop cooling and fuel cell power generation–addressing my major concerns–I had to compromise and drop my objection to that particular data center.

5. How will you balance the views of the vocal public, your political party, and your own understanding and knowledge as an elected representative (a challenge highlighted by issues such as data centers, water usage, redistricting, environmental concerns, taxes, etc.)?

Transparency and clear communication can make it easier to help people understand why their particular position isn’t going to prevail in a given case. For example, when a road needs to be built, the people who might lose their houses will be furious, while the people whose businesses may benefit will be elated; the Commissioner’s job is to stay focused on the best outcome for the entire county and not be too swayed by either end of the opinion spectrum. As for the influence of political parties, I am explicitly running to get political parties out of governing. Decisions should be made on the best evidence available, not on party affiliation or influence.

6. What is the best way for readers to contact you and/or get more information about your platform?

Website: www.AllenforUtahCounty.com

Email: votejallen@gmail.com

Phone: 385-204-6631