Meet The Candidates Night Q&A Breakdown

Bountiful Residents Meet the Candidates for 2025 City Election

Bountiful residents gathered Thursday evening for a Meet the Candidates Night at City Hall ahead of the city’s upcoming municipal election on November 4, 2025. The event gave voters a chance to engage with those seeking to lead the city for the next four years.

This year’s ballot includes one mayoral seat and two city council positions. Current city councilwoman Kate Bradshaw is running unopposed for the mayoral seat. Four candidates are competing for the two council seats: Aubry Bennion, Dan Bell, current councilwoman Beth Child, and Carla Barker. (Barker was absent from the event.)

The evening began with a 30-minute meet-and-greet, followed by an hour-long Q&A session. With about 60 residents in the audience, candidates discussed city budgets, affordable housing, economic growth, the new city plan, and how to make sure the community stays involved. 

Here is a breakdown of the Q&A session.

City Budget and Priorities

After candidates each had a few minutes to introduce themselves, the first question posed to the candidates was how they would handle city budget decisions.

• Bradshaw – said that sound budgeting underpins every policy decision, noting the importance of understanding the city’s $106 million budget and her past experience helping the South Davis Recreation District recover from debt. Highlighted that understanding budgets was a priority.
• Bell – focused on balancing community needs with fiscal responsibility. “Nobody wants to pay more taxes, but everyone wants more services,” he said, citing needs for transparency and careful evaluation of city spending priorities.
• Bennion – praised the city’s history of fiscal discipline, highlighting its low tax rate and commitment to saving for emergencies. She emphasized the importance of investing in long-term power security through the city’s municipal utility.
• Child – began by assuring residents that the city remains on solid financial footing even amid uncertain federal funding. She supported continuing Bountiful’s cautious, savings-first approach.
  
  

Housing and Growth

With state legislation requiring cities to plan for more affordable housing, candidates discussed how Bountiful—largely built out—can adapt. 

• Bell – suggested exploring “light-touch” density options like duplexes and triplexes that fit existing neighborhoods, paired with strong citizen input.
• Child – noted the challenge of affordability, with median home prices around $585,000. She cited steps the city has already taken, such as legalizing accessory dwelling units, but said state mandates can feel one-size-fits-all.
• Bradshaw – agreed that “density doesn’t mean affordability,” pointing to recent Main Street projects that remain out of reach for many residents. Wants to talk more with other city organizations for plans.
• Bennion – framed the issue around redevelopment rather than new construction, saying Bountiful must “offer variety but do it smartly.” Wants to find ways to approach it carefully. 

Economic Development and Community Strength

All candidates expressed interest in strengthening Bountiful’s business base—particularly along Main Street. 

• Child proposed three ideas for economic growth:

1. Use RDA money for Main Street
2. Find an anchor store for Main Street, improve commerce
3. Explore the idea of economic director in Bountiful, full time

• Bradshaw supported that idea, referencing a recent sales-tax leakage study and suggesting the city could benefit from new retail, hospitality, and recreation options. Wants to focus on what realistic things Bountiful can bring in.
• Bennion echoed the need for an economic director and improvement of Main Street. Talked about how “micromovements” will be needed to keep Bountiful thriving. 
• Bell called for more data and a fresh approach to Main Street planning. Said he didn’t think the plan could continue the same way it had in the past.

Looking Ahead: The General Plan

The city’s new General Plan, now under review, was another key topic. Candidates were asked their thoughts on the plan.

• Bradshaw noted that it was good to have a new one, as the last city plan had been made in 2009. 
• Bennion described it as a “vision board” rather than a rigid rulebook that would help guide the city.
• Child emphasized it should guide decisions without binding future councils, and noted that it was currently in the hands of the city commission to be finished up.
• Bell expressed that he had some lingering concerns about some parts of the plan, specifically around the areas of plans for Orchard Drive.

Community Engagement

The final discussion point of the night started with the question of how would the candidates  make sure the community stayed involved and that individual citizens had the opportunity to have a say in city decisions. 

• Bennion – Wants to make a concerted effort to seek public comment.
• Bell – Will make efforts to reach age different groups, whether that is through digital means or more tangible means.
• Child – Pledged to show up at community events and be available to talk to.
• Bradshaw – Plans to be accessible, through email and text, and also to keep doing her monthly newsletter.