Hildale, UT – With the Utah Regular Primary Election looming on June 23, the race for the Washington County Commission arrived directly in Short Creek on Tuesday evening. A candidate town hall forum hosted at the Hildale Library, drew roughly 20 local residents looking for direct answers on how the county’s future leadership plans to address the unique municipal and infrastructure needs of the border community.
The forum featured three candidates representing both county and state races. Utah House Representative Joseph Elison of District 72 opened the evening, offering a state-level perspective on the challenges facing rural communities like Short Creek. He was followed by Bill Hoster, former Leeds Mayor and Republican primary challenger for Washington County Commission Seat A, who made his case directly to Hildale voters on regional growth and representation. Incumbent Commissioner Victor Iverson closed out the panel, speaking to his record and vision for the future of Washington County Commission Seat B.
The intimate crowd of Hildale residents used the opportunity to gauge how heavily the county intends to support outlying, rural municipalities as the region navigates rapid development. Key topics framing the current local landscape — such as escalating municipal budgets, local infrastructure and county resource allocation.
Victor Iverson — Washington County Commission Seat B
Commissioner Victor Iverson opened his remarks with a personal connection to Short Creek that clearly resonated with the crowd. He spoke of friends he described as among the first refugees from the area and said he has always felt a deep bond with the community and its people. His wife, a member of the Johnson family with roots tracing back generations in Short Creek, further ties him to the valley.
Iverson pointed to the Hildale Library — the very building hosting Tuesday’s forum — as a symbol of how far the relationship between Washington County and Short Creek has come. He noted that the library was a project he helped bring to fruition during that time.
“It’s hard to believe how far it (Hildale) has come,” he told the audience.
Iverson acknowledged that in earlier days, the county’s relationship with Short Creek was complicated. He said there was a period when county officials were uncertain how best to serve and protect the community, and that the library itself met with some resistance when first proposed. He expressed pride that it now stands as a community asset and a sign of the progress that has been made.
But it was his recollection of the devastating Short Creek flood that brought a visible weight to his remarks. Iverson described receiving a text message at home and not knowing what to do — then driving out to the community as the disaster unfolded that night. The memories of the days that followed, he said, will never leave him.
He recalled standing in a room the morning after the flood with local emergency officials and the mayor, when a critical question was put on the table — whether the mayor would sign a declaration of emergency that would unlock county and state resources for the stricken community. Iverson said he could still remember reading the mayor’s face in that moment.
“There was just some electricity in that room,” he said. “It was a humbling time.”
Iverson reflected on the scattering of families that followed the disaster, acknowledging the pain it caused while also noting the ways it had blessed other communities. He expressed deep optimism about Short Creek’s future, telling the crowd he believes the brightest days are still ahead and that the community has barely scratched the surface of its potential.
He closed by reminding attendees that the county operates as a political subdivision of the state, with defined responsibilities, and encouraged continued collaboration between county and local leadership to keep moving forward together. Iverson also touted the commission’s fiscal record, noting that under their watch Washington County has maintained the lowest tax levy of any county in the state of Utah — a point of pride he said reflects the commission’s commitment to keeping the tax burden light on residents.
Joseph Elison — Utah House District 72
Utah House Representative Joseph Elison, a resident of Toquerville, Utah, opened with a reflection on the growth and transformation he has witnessed across the region during his time in public service, calling it a humbling experience. He expressed deep affection for Washington County and its people, telling the crowd he believes the brightest days for the community are still ahead.
On governance, Elison was direct about the legal boundaries of county authority, reminding attendees that the county operates as a political subdivision of the state and cannot act unilaterally on all issues. He also stressed the importance of fiscal discipline, acknowledging the very real difficulty of balancing budgets without passing the burden onto taxpayers through higher taxes.
Bill Hoster — Washington County Commission Seat A
Former Leeds Mayor Bill Hoster brought perhaps the most personal and wide-ranging remarks of the evening, drawing on a career that has spanned firefighting, emergency paramedicine, business ownership, and city council service to make his case a hands-on, results-driven candidate.
Hoster shared a story — recounting the day he arrived in the community as a medical supply salesman, there simply to pitch products to the local fire department. When a medical emergency unfolded, Hoster said he didn’t hesitate. He set aside the sales call, stepped in as a trained paramedic, and worked to save a life right there in Short Creek. It was a moment, he told the crowd, that left a lasting impression on him and deepened his connection to this community.
“I just really have this thing for the people here,” he said.
From the fire station to running a medical distribution company to serving on city council, that same instinct has driven every chapter of his career. “I don’t do anything halfway,” he told the crowd.
On policy, Hoster focused heavily on fiscal accountability and what he described as an ongoing fight to protect Washington County taxpayer dollars from being diverted to Salt Lake City interests. He recounted a multi-year battle over a baseball stadium designation that he said threatened to redirect millions of dollars away from the county’s general fund. Hoster said he returned to the Capitol as recently as last October during a special legislative session, lobbying aggressively to have local recommendations adopted and working toward rolling back property tax increases on county residents.
In a pointed moment, Hoster told the audience he never once saw his opponent — Seat A incumbent Gil Almquist — engage in that fight at the Capitol during the entire time he was advocating there. “Who was fighting to get this?” he asked the crowd. “We’re talking millions and millions — hundreds of millions of dollars — coming out of our general fund.”
Hoster closed by urging residents to stay engaged and reminding them that the primary election, not November, is the race that matters in Washington County. “It’s going to be whoever gets elected in the primary,” he said. “That’s when you need to show up.”
A Community Looking for Its Voice
The evening reflected something deeper than a standard campaign stop. For the residents of Short Creek — a community straddling the Utah-Arizona border that has long navigated its own complex relationship with county and state government — the town hall represented a rare opportunity to look candidates in the eye and ask whether rural voices will be heard as Washington County’s population and budget continue to grow at a rapid pace.
With ballots scheduled to hit mailboxes in early June, Tuesday’s forum marked a critical window for local voters to interact directly with the individuals who will manage Washington County’s multi-million-dollar budget and public lands strategy for years to come.
Organizers thanked all participants and encouraged every resident to watch for their primary ballot and make their voice heard before June 23.
Up Next: Arizona-Side Republican Candidate Forum This Saturday
The civic energy generated by Tuesday’s town hall carries directly across the state line this weekend. A Republican candidate forum is scheduled for Saturday, May 30, at the Cottonwood Park on the Arizona side of Short Creek, running from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
The forum will feature candidates seeking seats in the Arizona State Legislature and federal representative races, as well as candidates for local council positions serving Colorado City. It represents an important opportunity for Arizona-side residents to engage with the candidates who will appear on their primary ballots in the coming weeks.
