Candidates for Highland mayor and for several city council seats answered six questions on governance, property rights, partisan endorsements, zoning and the city budget at a candidate forum hosted by the Highland City Youth Board. The forum included opening remarks and candidate introductions, six timed questions, and closing statements. No formal votes or council actions were taken.

The candidates who participated were Britney P. Bills (mayoral candidate and current Highland City Council member), Ron Campbell (appointed council member), Wes Warren (planning commission member and library board member), Liz Rice (candidate, former planning commission and open-space committee member), and Scott L. Smith (incumbent council member). Moderator Sasha Bertola and Amy Clawson (Deputy Mayor, Highland City Youth Board) ran the forum.

Why it matters: The answers illuminate how the next Highland mayor and councilmembers might approach routine land-use choices, rare use of eminent domain, the role of political parties in local races after a state law change, and the likelihood of future tax decisions if the city faces budget pressures. The forum also surfaced a specific local question: whether land the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints may sell near Highland Mains should be rezoned from R-1-40 to mixed use.

Most candidates said they would defer to law and the city’s development code while balancing constituent input. Wes Warren said elected officials should follow legal frameworks and staff guidance and described representation as “a sacred obligation,” adding that he generally would not vote contrary to what he believes residents want. Scott L. Smith framed the role as representative decision-making within a constitutional republic and cautioned that public input and surveys may not capture a citywide majority opinion.

On eminent domain, views were cautious. Liz Rice said, “I would have a very difficult time voting in favor of anything like that,” and framed eminent domain as damaging to property owners. Scott Smith and other candidates said eminent domain is most commonly justified for transportation corridors; Smith recalled state-level debates over using eminent domain for trails. Ron Campbell said the council has considered eminent domain (noting 4800 West as an example) but that councilors opted for alternatives in that case. Wes Warren said large-scale takings are rare and that collaborative alternatives can often be found.

Candidates expressed broad opposition to formal party control of local officeholders. Ron Campbell said he would not accept accountability to a political party and stated, “I am not accountable to any party.” Liz Rice and others said they enjoyed meeting party delegates but still believe local elections should remain primarily local in character despite a recent state-law change allowing greater party involvement.

On the question of land north of Highland Mains that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints may sell, candidates split. Wes Warren said he “would support designating as mixed use” for a parcel adjacent to the town center if the city had to make a zoning decision and emphasized that mixed use should be tightly planned. Liz Rice said she would “probably not change it” from R-1-40 and said nearby residents are strongly opposed to rezoning. Scott Smith said he would likely side with neighborhood preferences and keep R-1-40, noting zoning decisions would ultimately come before the council. Ron Campbell emphasized access constraints on the portion reportedly under negotiation and said a partial sale with no public frontage would make residential development impractical.

Budget and library funding were a recurring theme. Rice presented the city's general-fund numbers during the forum, saying revenues are about $13,942,892 and expenditures about $13,929,119; she said that closeness argues against raising taxes this year and that cutting core services such as police and fire should be avoided. Multiple candidates said a tax increase should be a last resort after tightening budgets, pursuing grants and partnerships, or identifying other revenue opportunities (Scott Smith and Ron Campbell both pointed to options such as pursuing a unique ZIP code to capture sales tax and seeking grants). Wes Warren highlighted the library’s long stretch without a budget increase and said the library has been “running lean for 18 years.”

Other recurring themes were support for maintaining Highland’s low-density character, protecting open space and trails, and emphasizing public safety when infrastructure choices create tradeoffs for neighborhoods. Candidates used examples of past projects — such as the 4800 West/North County Boulevard improvements and prior debates over road widths — to illustrate where they would weigh resident concerns against technical or safety recommendations.

The forum concluded with closing statements and a reminder that Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, and that ballots will be mailed starting Oct. 14; voters may use Utah County drop boxes until 8 p.m. on election day. The forum did not produce any official council motions or votes.

Sources and quotations in this article come from candidate remarks at the Highland City Youth Board forum: Britney P. Bills, Ron Campbell, Wes Warren, Liz Rice and Scott L. Smith. Direct, verbatim quotations are attributed to those speakers when used above.