Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson, a Democrat, faced off against her Republican challenger, corporate lawyer Erin Rider, in a debate Thursday that included some sharp exchanges, including over a proposed $507 million public safety bond that’s also on the November ballot.
“If there’s one thing you take away tonight, I hope it’s this: My opponent is an expensive mayor to keep,” Rider said in her closing statement at the hour-long debate broadcast live on PBS Utah, citing the bond and claiming it would lead to future tax increases, as well as the size of the county’s budget, now nearly $2 billion.
Wilson called the new “justice and accountability center” that would be created if the bond passes a “reset” in the criminal justice system intended to stop the revolving door in the prison system and reduce recidivism costs. She told reporters after the debate she was “a bit surprised” by the tone of the criticism.
The county’s mayor since 2019, Wilson said her opponent doesn’t understand the budget. “I’ve been there. I’ve been a first-time candidate for Salt Lake County Council,” she said, adding, “I recognize the county is a complex operation. But she’s showing disregard for the facts.”
During the debate held at the station’s University of Utah studios in front of about a dozen supporters, the pair sparred over whether the county had deferred maintenance too long on some facilities, including the Oxbow Jail, the Salt Lake County Government Center that may be moved from Salt Lake City to Midvale and downtown’s Abravanel Hall.
The future of the county’s concert hall that’s home to the Utah Symphony and Utah Opera has been unclear since the Utah Legislature passed a plan to revitalize downtown Salt Lake City, but Wilson told lawmakers last month a plan is being put together to keep the facility where it is.
Rider said the issue is “an absolute betrayal of trust” to the Abravanel family, who has endorsed her candidacy. “It has taken months and months to figure out what to do just with Abravanel Hall,” Rider said, while at the same time, plans have been drawn up for much of the new entertainment district that includes a remodel of the Delta Center.
She said the county needs a 10-year growth and development plan, using the 2034 Winter Games as “a natural deadline.”
Wilson said she has “doubled-down” on her commitment to Abravanel Hall and is now at the table with the other entities involved in downtown’s massive makeover, looking for the “methods and mechanisms” needed for what’s she’s previously described as a renovation that will cost more than $200 million.
Both candidates started off talking about the tough times faced by many county residents, returning to issues like high housing costs. Asked to define affordable housing, Rider said it’s the ability of first-time homebuyers to get into the market. Wilson said in addition to increasing the stock of properties for sale, units for low-income residents must also be available.
The mayor touted a county plan to build 1,000 “deeply affordable” units that also offer needed services.
When it comes to what the county can do to help offset high food and gas costs, Rider said in many ways, that’s a federal issue difficult for a mayor to solve. But she suggested zoning requirements may be keeping people from growing their own food, and said there aren’t enough grocery stores on the west side.
Wilson said the country has many “accessible opportunities that are free,” including passes to recreation centers as well as libraries and three new regional parks, including in South Jordan. Both agreed there’s work to do to deal with the issue of encampments of unhoused people along the Jordan River Trail.
The county mayor’s race has been largely low-key this election year. Wilson was first elected to the position to fill the vacancy left by Ben McAdams after he won a congressional seat in 2018. She is running for her second full term and has served on the county council from 2005-2011 and again from 2014-2019.
Rider previously challenged former Rep. Chris Stewart in the 2022 GOP 2nd Congressional District primary.
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