This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2010, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Though just 29, Arlyn Bradshaw is no rookie when it comes to Salt Lake County government.
The Democratic candidate for the County Council from District 1 has worked for Salt Lake County Council Chairman Joe Hatch the past three years as Hatch's policy adviser.
Bradshaw has also been involved in county and state politics, serving as executive board member of the Salt Lake County Democratic Party and executive director of the Utah Democratic Party. He has also been on the staff of former Utah House Democratic Whip Patrice Arent and worked as a congressional aide in Washington, D.C.
His background working on county policy initiatives and his experience dealing with county government convince us to make Bradshaw our choice to succeed Hatch as the representative from the county's most Democratic district, comprising Salt Lake City and South Salt Lake.
Less than half the age of his 68-year-old opponent, Steve Harmsen, Bradshaw correctly points out that he is exactly the median age of county residents. His youth gives him the perspective of the younger set in the county, a perspective that should be valuable to the council, where most members are substantially older.
Bradshaw also has education on his side. He has a degree in political science and is expecting to receive his master's degree in public administration this summer.
Harmsen, a former council member and Salt Lake City commissioner, says he was a champion of the county's ethics reform package passed in 2004 and he supported alternatives to incarceration to reduce jail expenses. The ethics policy and treatment options instead of jail for many minor offenders are largely in place. We recognize Harmsen's valuable past service, but he has been away from county government for six years, while Bradshaw has been in the thick of it.
Bradshaw has been involved in the county's struggle the past two years to maintain services while facing multimillion-dollar revenue shortfalls.
He supported a small property tax increase that has helped the county continue to meet obligations to families, the elderly and poor during the current recession. He believes in government efficiency, including consolidation of law enforcement and other services. And, he is committed to protecting open space and would let county voters decide on a new open-space acquisition bond, once the economy stabilizes.
We believe Bradshaw would be an asset to county government and deserves the Tribune editorial board's enthusiastic endorsement.