As President of the Utah Sheriffs Association, Kane County Sheriff Tracy Glover was selected as a representative to the federal legislative session in D.C. on the week of February 3, 2025.
“As county sheriffs, we’re responsible for taking care of the whole state of Utah,” says Glover. “It’s a tough fiscal year, but we’re working with it … to make sure Utah’s counties are funded.”
Per Sheriff Glover, some of the pertinent issues presented to the legislature included the ongoing legal battle over public lands and roads access and maintenance, court security statewide and funding and benefit support for EMS and volunteer work.
“As sheriffs, we want to preserve our good relationship with the Department of Corrections,” states Glover, “Kane County has the second largest contract jail in the state. The legislature has been really good over the years to help us get those beds paid for - just recently a new legislation has helped us be more relevant in that world and to keep it funded correctly … there have been public safety bill reforms to clean up language addressing issues like habitual offenders. We have really good legislators looking to that data and working out how best to hold habitual offenders accountable, so they don’t continue to prey on more people.”
The Association of Sheriffs also presented on issues like court security funding, a major concern for sheriffs in more urban counties. Says Glover, “In Salt Lake County, they have courtrooms rotating all day, people going through security in and out, each room has to have a bailiff all day and that can get expensive … it’s the sheriffs’ responsibility to manage that court security. We’re looking to help get that funded.”
Another common issue for Utah’s legislature presented at D.C. was the ongoing public lands legal battle, presented by representatives from the Public Lands Policy Coordinating Office (PLPCO), as well as officials and staff from Kane County’s Public Lands Office. “They did a good job presenting our issues with access to public lands and roads,” states Sheriff Glover. “Kane County is the tip of the spear on a statewide issue, so the state is supporting us, and we’re trying to get federal legislators to see how important the legal battle is here, we’re trying to get funding and support there too.
Glover credits the hard work of Utah’s elected officials, citing Senators Derrin Owens and David Hinkins, and Representative Logan Monson as working very closely with the Sheriff’s Association and other county bodies; he also credits the hard work of his fellow County level officials, both in other Utah counties and in Kane County specifically, stating, “I hope the people know how hard their elected officials are working on their behalf. It’s an incredibly busy and hectic 45 days, and we’re constantly up [at the legislature] pushing for the county and state’s best interests. I’m here for the next few days, then the commissioners will come up here for the week … they’re working hard.”
The Kane County Commission concludes each Commission Meeting agenda with a legislative report, so the public can expect information in the coming weeks - Commission Meetings are generally held on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month, with the nearest meeting and update set for February 11, with Kanab’s City Council meeting later the same day.
