Commission candidates take low-key approach

If the county did not charge business owners property tax, then residents would have to make up the difference with increased property tax, White said.

"Tell me something I can do that I'm not (already) doing," White said. "The county commission has no authority to do something all on its own."

White says he is proud that during his almost four years in office, the county has expanded its jail without increasing taxes and added to law-enforcement staffing for the sheriff's department, among other things.

"I'm confident that the good voters of Utah County will say, 'We like not having our property taxes raised by the county. We think they've done a good job, so we're going to support them,"' White said.

Brierley lives in Spanish Fork and works out of his home as a financial adviser and insurance agent for a local company. He says his experience in the financial industry has helped him see the negative impact "regressive" policies have on America's middle class.

Brierley wasn't planning on running for a seat on the commission until January of this year, when the idea struck him. He gained the support of his wife and children and started campaigning shortly after.

Of the estimated $5,000 Brierley has spent, about 99 percent has been from his own pocket, he said.

White raised about $16,000 for his campaign and has spent the same amount, he said. Nearly $14,500 of his fund-raised money was spent solely on advertising leading up to the Republican primary election.

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