Davis County Commissioner Loren Kamalu defends tax decision, cites unfunded state mandates

Loren Kamalu, a Davis County commissioner seeking re-election to Seat B, told an interviewer’s forum that a recent rise in county revenue was intended to keep county services funded after years of inflation and mounting state-imposed responsibilities.

Kamalu, speaking at an interview hosted by the Davis County Conservatives, said Davis County last increased general-fund revenue in 2016 and has since faced what she called “about 32% inflation accumulated since that time,” arguing the county needed to restore revenues to cover legally required services. “We don’t grow government,” she said, but added that the state’s unfunded mandates had forced counties to absorb new costs.

Why it matters: Kamalu framed the tax decisions as fiscal maintenance rather than a deliberate expansion of government. That distinction is central to debates among county residents who pressed the commissioner in the program about whether construction of large projects and the use of federal relief funds had increased recurring county costs.

Kamalu defended the county’s budget process and said department requests are reviewed by the elected controller and a budget committee, then pared back to required services. She described the controller’s approach during budget hearings as starting from legally required items and saying “no” to requests that were not required by state law, then trimming further.

On county projects: Kamalu said long-planned capital efforts contributed to the public conversation about county spending. She estimated the Western Sports Park was built with roughly $60 million in bonded funds and said that the venue is funded from tourism-designated sales taxes, not the general fund. “It is exceeding all the forecasting of what it’s doing,” she said of the sports park’s early performance, and told listeners that commission meetings and the county’s newsletter recently published performance numbers showing revenue and expenses.

On a replacement animal-care facility, Kamalu described years of feasibility work, saying earlier estimates near $20 million were reduced to about $16.5 million as staff and elected officials sought cost savings. She said animal services are typically a city responsibility under state law but that local agreements in Davis County have made the county the provider for many municipalities; the county’s new facility, she said, reflects growth in the region and changes in animal-sheltering practices.

Election-certification claim: A participant in the interview alleged thousands of fraudulent signatures had been accepted in county elections. Kamalu replied that county officials had not been presented with evidence that fraud changed outcomes and that the lieutenant governor’s office conducts audits and oversight of county canvasses. “We’ve not had any evidence provided to us that shows there was anything…fraudulent that changed any outcomes,” she said.

Federal relief and staffing: When asked whether pandemic-era federal relief funds led to permanent staffing increases, Kamalu said public-health surge positions funded during the pandemic were temporary and that public records and controller reports are available online for anyone who wants the details.

Next steps and contact: Kamalu said she is continuing signature-gathering for the campaign and invited residents to attend the county’s open commission meetings, normally held Tuesday mornings at 10 a.m. She described her campaign motto as “empowering the people” and urged constituents to contact her office for details.