The County Council may be partisan, but the issues facing our communities aren’t. People are being priced out of the communities they love and too many people are wondering: Will my kids ever have a place to call home?

When Salt Lake County adopted its mayor-council form of government, it created a balanced structure for a rapidly growing region. For voters used to city elections, it felt familiar: district and countywide council representation paired with an executive mayor.

However, unlike municipal elections, county races carry party labels.

Campaigning across Salt Lake County, I hear the same priorities from voters regardless of political party: modern infrastructure, public safety, cleaner air and housing affordability. County ballots may feature party labels, but just like cities, the everyday issues facing our communities do not. Potholes and pollution don’t care about party registration, and the leaders who solve them shouldn’t either.

This is particularly important as we address the housing crisis. When we talk about housing, it isn’t just a broad question of affordability, though that is important with the average income required for the median priced home in Salt Lake County rapidly approaching $200,000. At its core, it’s about the declining promise of homeownership. The lack of permanent homeownership directly decreases economic security for working families, but it also creates a downstream effect on the health of our communities. Research consistently shows that long-term homeowners are significantly more likely to invest time in their neighborhoods, volunteer locally and stay civically engaged over time. When rising costs push homeownership out of reach, it undermines the very civic fabric that holds our neighborhoods together.

Combating this housing crisis requires a coordinated effort across all three levels: state legislation, county policy and municipal leadership. At the county level, we must actively support robust down payment assistance programs so first-time buyers can get a foot on the ladder. Crucially, we need policies ensuring that first rights of purchase go directly to first-time, owner-occupied homebuyers rather than out-of-state institutional investors.

Running in a partisan system to solve nonpartisan problems like these requires a commitment to bring people together. That is why I am proud to have earned endorsements across the political spectrum — from Republican County Councilwoman Aimee Winder Newton and nonpartisan West Jordan Mayor Dirk Burton to Democrat former AFL-CIO Utah President Dale Cox and Equality Utah. On this year’s ballot, I want every voter, regardless of party, to know they have a home in this campaign.

No matter the outcome in this year’s County Council election, I hope voters in Salt Lake County Council District 3 see a different type of campaign — one that proves we can set aside partisanship to protect the dream of homeownership, strengthen our neighborhoods and build a county where future generations can afford to stay and thrive.

Mike Bird is a lifelong Murray resident, an active community leader and a healthcare professional with a background in operations and finance. Mike and his amazing wife Kim, a first grade public school teacher, enjoy raising their four adventurous boys and overly friendly black lab Bher. He used AI to check grammar in this commentary.

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