David Spencer for Utah County Commission Seat B: Property Taxes, Budget Cuts, Transparency, & Growth

Utah County Republican Party podcast host and vice chair Charles Max Wood interviews David Spencer, former 12-year Orem City Council member and candidate for Utah County Commissioner Seat B, about opposing recent county property tax hikes (48% in 2024 and 67% in 2019) and insisting any future increase be put to voters.

Spencer argues the county should simplify and publicize budgets, conduct department-by-department audits with an outside “strategy innovation” team like Orem used (citing $1.7M saved), pursue grants with no strings attached, reduce bureaucracy such as the county administrator role, and create an online transparency portal showing votes, schedules, travel, and spending.

He criticizes bonding and salary increases, calls the commission an establishment “good old boys club,” emphasizes infrastructure and transportation needs, supports secure elections, and discusses concerns about rushed approvals like Box Elder County’s data center process.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro
00:34 Why Run on Taxes
02:26 Budget Cuts and Staffing
06:35 Administrator Role and Unity
09:52 Good Old Boys Club
13:12 Airport Deal Concerns
13:48 Innovation Team and Grants
17:20 Optics and Election Trust
18:44 Transparency Portal Plan
22:24 Culture and Transportation
26:22 Box Elder Data Center Debate
33:09 AI Boom and Water Worries
34:26 Data Center Scale
34:52 Water and Power Tradeoffs
36:24 Subsidies and Local Impacts
37:44 Rushed Approval Process
39:21 Quality of Life Projects
40:20 Council Lessons Learned
42:45 Ballot and Referendum Rights
45:13 Campaign Differences and Budget Cuts
49:56 Bonds Debt and Tax Burden
59:32 Wrap Up Contact and Vi