In 2014, seven county department head positions and two council seats will be up for re-election. The assessor, attorney, auditor, clerk, recorder, sheriff and treasurer along with the five council seats are elected partisan positions. The Park Record spoke with those currently holding these positions to gauge their thoughts on re-election next year.

Sheriff Dave Edmunds

Summit County Sheriff Dave Edmunds, a Republican, having served for almost 11 years, has decided not to run for re-election next year. Edmunds got his start at Sheriff after completing his duties as venue commander for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games.

"I’ve put a lot of thought into it it’s my third time [as Sheriff]," Edmunds said. "It’s time for me to move on and do something else."

The Sheriff’s Office has undergone a drastic series of cuts over the last several years, with the official amount of cuts being $250,000. When other factors such as personnel and equipment are factored in, Edmunds says the cuts have been closer to $1 million. Regardless, he has enjoyed his time serving Summit County.

"It’s been a real pleasure. I’ve enjoyed it thoroughly and it’s been a great honor, but I’m planning on doing something different," Edmunds said.

Assessor Steve Martin

Assessor Steve Martin, a Democrat, has declared that he will run for re-election next year.

"I like what I do. I think I’m good at what I do, so I want to do it some more," Martin said. "I think the [Assessor’s] office is working well together. Right now we’re hiring somebody to replace one of our long-term employees and she’ll be terribly missed."

Martin hopes that the county will approve a new commercial appraiser position this year, as he says the office has been without one for a couple of years. He added that they currently contract out to a commercial appraiser, but at $100 to $150 an hour it is very expensive to do so.

Martin, who will also be president of the Multi-County Appraisal Trust, says he will assist with deciding on and selling a single appraisal system for the entire state.

Recorder MaryAnn Trussell

Trussell, a Democrat, was appointed to the recorder position by the Democratic Party delegation after the retirement of Alan Spriggs in May, says she will run for re-election.

"I intend on running and I’m excited to run," Trussell said. "I’ve been at the Recorder’s Office for over 22 years now."

Clerk Kent Jones

Jones, a Democrat, who did not want to provide additional comment at this time, declared that he will run for re-election for the clerk position in 2014.

Attorney David Brickey

"I have every intention of running for office this year," said County Attorney David Brickey, who ran on the Republican ticket. "I believe I provide the greatest degree of leadership that appreciates both the civil and, most importantly, the criminal side of the job."

Three accomplishments that Brickey is proud of during his tenure include (1) the opening of the Children’s Justice Center, (2) the creation of a drug court and (3) an all-time low in civil litigation with the help of, he says, Summit County Manager Bob Jasper.

If elected to another term, Brickey hopes to help save the county money by transitioning to a paperless system. The criminal law office, he said, has its professionals using iPads in court rather than generating paper files.

Brickey would also like to see the development of a Children’s Justice Center facility similar to those used throughout Utah.

"This would be a stand-alone structure, but it’s well down the path," Brickey said. "That would be something in another term that I’d be trying to accomplish."

Auditor Blake Frazier

Blake Frazier, a Democrat, did not respond to The Park Record’s requests for comment regarding his thoughts on running for re-election.

Treasurer Corrie Forsling

"I do plan to run for re-election and I really enjoy working with the county and being part of a management team," said Treasurer Corrie Forsling, a Democrat.

Forsling noted that the county is currently in what she refers to as a "period of change."

"There’s been a lot of change at the county and I feel that I’ve been an important part of the technology changes we’ve been through," Forsling said. "We’re not done and we have a lot of work left to do."

Forsling, who said she previously thought the Treasurer’s Office only performed functions related to tax collection, has learned that her office provides a very valuable service.

"I really thought it was all about tax collection that’s the everyday, the bread and butter but we’re a service operation," Forsling said. "First and foremost is the taxpayers but there are also real estate developers, realtors, title companies we’re constantly providing that interaction with stakeholders."

Council member Dave Ure

Council member Dave Ure, a Republican, said he is not ready to declare yet whether he will seek another term.

Council member Chris Robinson

Council member Chris Robinson, a Democrat, declared that it was too early to say whether he would run for re-election next year.

"I don’t know what I’m going to do yet. I likely will run," Robinson said. "I’ll have been at the job six years and I need to weigh a few things."

Candidates wishing to run for any of these positions will be officially required to file with the Summit County Clerk’s Office in March 2014.