After Searle won the delegates’ vote, the Wasatch County Senior Center crowd of about 300 applauded him as the future Wasatch County council member representing the entire county in seat A. His opponents Mary Williams and Kim Facer, along with current council members and other attendees, also congratulated him.
Searle was the clear favorite in two rounds of voting. In the second round, after Facer was eliminated, he received more than 60% of votes over Williams. That eliminated the requirement for a primary election in June for the county council seat.
Searle is currently an assistant in the Heber City manager’s office. In his address to delegates before the vote, he highlighted his experience working for Heber and the state legislature. He said he would focus on local issues by “finding solutions and fixing problems.”
“I’ve been able to understand how to navigate local government,” Searle said. “I’ve been able to manage budgets. I’ve been able to solve community problems, and I have the skillset and the commitment to be able to protect our valley. This is my home. This is your home. We need to come together as a community to take control of that growth, take back control of our property taxes. I want to be an advocate for those in fixed-income housing.”
Searle’s term will last from January 2023 to December 2026.
He also said he would quit his current job with the city before joining the council.
The race for seat A on the council was the only contested race at the county level.