FARMINGTON — Monday's deadline for filing for the open seat on the Davis County Board of Commissioners closed with a final tally of three Republicans and one Democrat in the race.

The Republican field would have had four candidates, but the first to declare his candidacy, West Point resident and political strategist Randy Minson, said he decided Sunday that he'd rather not run.

Instead, Kaysville resident and criminal justice instructor Dave Harris filed as a candidate Monday. He joins Davis Area Convention and Visitors Bureau CEO Barbara Riddle and West Point Mayor John Petroff, who also filed to run as Republicans.

The lone Democrat running for the seat is former Davis Commissioner J. Dell Holbrook, a West Bountiful resident who served on the commission between 1991 and 1994 and the only Democrat to do so in recent memory.

Holbrook, 62, said the imbalance with a Republican-heavy County Commission isn't healthy for the county.

"I don't think our leaders are hearing the voice of the people," he said.

Utah was best run with Democratic Govs. Scott Matheson and Cal Rampton, Holbrook said, because they brought balance to state politics. He hopes to do the same in Davis County.

The last time Holbrook was in office, he said, commissioners never raised property taxes by more than a single-digit percentage increase. By comparison, he called the property tax increase imposed by the 2004-06 commissioners "outrageous."

Harris said he got into the race for the commission because he wants to avoid steep increases in property taxes, as well.

"One of my philosophies is less government, more opportunity," said Harris, who is a former Davis County Sheriff's Office deputy and polygraph examiner.

"You don't necessarily need to raise taxes to continue services," he said. "I will not support any type of tax increase during my administration as commissioner."

Harris said he's also campaigning on a public safety platform because he wants to ensure that Davis County continues to enjoy good public safety cohesiveness.

"I want to see a lot more preparation in relation to the ability to respond and recover from manmade and natural disasters," he said.

For more information, Harris has a Web site www.commissionerdave.com. Riddle also has a Web site: www.voteriddle.com.

Contact information for each of the candidates is available at www.daviscountyutah.gov.

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E-mail: jdougherty@desnews.com