Salt Lake County is home to more than a third of Utah’s population. This November, two candidates are up for Salt Lake County mayor. On the City Cast Salt Lake podcast, we asked them about their priorities, and also: What’s their campaign song?
Note: These answers were edited for length and clarity.
Current Salt Lake County Mayor & Democratic Nominee: Jenny Wilson
“I mean, I don't want to sound cheesy, and it sounds too Trumpy but, like, ‘Only in America,’ right? Only in this county, only in America. I am inspired by this community. I love what I do. I hope that I will return for four more years because it's a job that I love. And it's really because I'm inspired by our opportunity here, by our challenges, and really by the people. So I'll say ‘Only in America,’ Brooks and Dunn.”
Republican Nominee: Erin Rider
“The one that immediately comes to mind is Beyoncé's ‘Run the World (Girls).’ For me, that is a great way to get myself excited about what I'm doing and to remember that there are so many incredible people, particularly women in this county, who do unbelievable amounts of work, both privately in their own homes as well as publicly. That song always taps into that notion that there are communities and there are people here that are running the world and doing a fantastic job, even if they're not always getting the recognition for it.”
What Does the Salt Lake County Mayor Do?
- The Salt Lake County mayor serves four-year terms and is the CEO of the county.
- They put forth a (not-so-sexy) budget, which the council later approves. Abravanel Hall, county libraries, and rec centers — those are all county-owned.
- They also propose policies, like Mayor Wilson’s recent homelessness plan.
- The county is responsible for public health, parks & rec, and regional planning, among other things. In Utah, some areas are unincorporated (don’t have a municipal government) and others are incorporated (do have a municipal government). The Salt Lake County website described it perfectly: The county government is like your larger grocery store, city government is your smaller convenience store, and state government is your Costco.
- The Salt Lake County mayor collaborates with city mayors (all 23 of them!) to tackle regional issues.
