Jami Leavitt
For St. George City Council
CANDIDATE Q&A
Question #1
Washington County’s rapid growth pressures both development and preservation of open spaces. What is your proposed zoning strategy to balance new housing and commercial projects with maintaining the region’s natural landscapes, and how will you address community concerns about overdevelopment?
St. George is at a turning point. We need to make room for...READ MORE
St. George is at a turning point. We need to make room for families and businesses without losing what makes this place special like our views, trails, and open space. I support a strategic and balanced approach that encourages housing near existing infrastructure, preserves sensitive landscapes, and integrates small-scale commercial development within neighborhoods to reduce travel times and trips. I’ll advocate for “gentle density” like townhomes, casitas, and live-work units in the right places, so we can grow without sprawl. I have a record of clear communication with fellow community members and I’ll bring that to the City Council when it comes to growth. People are frustrated when development feels rushed or top-down. My goal is to make planning more transparent and rooted in local voices, not just land use codes.
Question #2
Aging infrastructure, such as roads, water lines, and public facilities, requires ongoing investment. What is your plan to fund and prioritize maintenance and upgrades, and how will you balance these costs with other municipal budget demands?
As someone who plans on living in St. George for...READ MORE
As someone who plans on living in St. George for the rest of my life, I’m personally committed to finding infrastructure solutions that are consistent with our community’s needs and values. Strong infrastructure is the backbone of any thriving city. In my first year, I will support a comprehensive infrastructure audit to assess road conditions, water lines, and public facilities. From there, I’ll work to prioritize investments based on safety, growth impact, and cost-efficiency. I support a pay-as-you-grow approach using impact fees and state/federal grants to ensure new growth helps fund new infrastructure and reduces the burden on taxpayers. At the same time, I’ll protect core services in the budget by evaluating spending for long-term value and making sure we’re not overextending financially.
Question #3
With rising populations, how will you ensure that police, fire, and emergency services remain adequately funded and staffed? Please specify whether you would reallocate existing budgets, seek new revenue sources, or implement other strategies to meet these needs.
As our population grows, public safety must...READ MORE
As our population grows, public safety must keep pace for St. George families. I support maintaining competitive staffing and training for our police, fire, and emergency teams so that we can keep quality staff to keep our communities safe. These professionals are essential and they need resources to serve effectively.
To meet those needs responsibly, I’ll look at three strategies:
Maximize existing budget efficiency
Seek state and federal safety grants
Explore ways for impact fees from new development to help support emergency infrastructure.
I support the continued effort at community policing and programs that integrate mental health and outreach with our public safety employees and the residents they serve. I believe we need to do so more proactively in an effort to reduce the burdens placed on our law enforcement community.
Question #4
Large and even small scale development projects often spark community debate. How will you ensure that residents’ voices are meaningfully incorporated into decisions about zoning and development, and what specific mechanisms (e.g., town halls, advisory boards) will you establish or strengthen?
I believe a good process builds good outcomes...READ MORE
I believe a good process builds good outcomes. When people feel left out, it creates distrust and division and I want development decisions to feel more inclusive and less like a foregone conclusion while not trampling on the personal property rights of landowners.
I’ll support educating our residents on the current ways they can stay informed and get involved in the continued growth of our community and create accessible mechanisms to provide feedback in addition to the current processes. This could look like:
Quarterly community forums on growth and land use.
Neighborhood-specific input sessions before major rezoning changes.
Citizen advisory boards with real influence not just symbolic roles.
When people truly feel they have had the opportunity to be seen and heard, even if they disagree with the final result, trust is built and better outcomes emerge.
Question #5
To reduce reliance on tourism and construction, what specific industries or business types will you target to diversify Washington County’s economy, and what incentives or policies will you propose to attract them?
St. George needs to continue to...READ MORE
St. George needs to continue to diversify its economy. Tourism and construction will always be part of who we are but we should build stability in our economy beyond those two economic pillars to provide opportunities for future generations. I’ll work to attract and support: Healthcare and life sciences (leveraging the new proposed medical campus). Remote work and tech hubs. Traditional and digital arts sectors that build on our region’s beauty and give our residents opportunities to explore their personal creativity. To get there, I support: Partnerships with Utah Tech to diversify opportunities for our student population. Streamline permitting for targeted industries. Startup-friendly policies and incentives that support local entrepreneurs taking risks to create new and exciting industries.
Question #6
Washington County is experiencing increased traffic congestion, particularly in urbanizing areas. What specific infrastructure improvements or policies will you prioritize to reduce traffic delays and improve road safety, and how will you fund these initiatives without overburdening taxpayers?
I want to hear the concerns of our residents. Traffic IS getting...READ MORE
I want to hear the concerns of our residents. Traffic IS getting worse as an expected by-product of our population growth and our expanding tourism reach. I support a three-part strategy:
Invest in key intersections and roads where congestion is highest and find solutions in creative ways that are data and evidence-based.
Expand safe options for walking and biking especially near schools and other areas where traffic patterns are highly predictable.
Improve east-west connectivity and long-range public transportation planning.
To fund these, I’ll advocate for targeted state transportation grants, smart investment of transportation impact fees, and regional partnerships with our neighboring communities so we’re not asking St. George taxpayers to shoulder the full cost and instead find fiscally conservative ways to solve our traffic problems.
Question #7
Given the ongoing drought concerns in Southern Utah, how will you prioritize water allocation among residential, commercial, agricultural, and recreational (e.g., golf courses) users? Please provide a specific plan or framework to ensure equitable distribution while addressing conservation goals.
We live in a desert, and water is a shared responsibility...READ MORE
We live in a desert, and water is a shared responsibility and our most urgent challenge. I support a “conservation-first” framework with clear priorities and data transparency that support individual rights and promote personal responsibility. My approach: Residential efficiency through incentives for landscaping conversion, smart irrigation, and water-wise development. Commercial and recreational accountability including tiered pricing and conservation benchmarks for large users (like golf courses, which are primarily irrigated with secondary or non-potable water). Work with the Washington County Water Conservancy District to expand the reuse systems and infrastructure with funding tied to realistic timelines. Transparent public updates on progress and usage so everyone knows how we’re doing with conservation via social media and the city website. We must protect our water not just with plans, but with visible, measurable results. We must also be realistic about creating plans that provide opportunities for future generations to live and thrive here.