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Bob Knudsen

City Council (Chair), Taylorsville · District 5

OfficeCity Council (Chair), TaylorsvilleDistrictDistrict 5PartyNonpartisan officeTerm endsJan 2030Next electionNov 6, 2029Raised$3,542Serving since2022

At a glance

  • Council Chair; represents District 5 since 2022.
  • Re-elected 2025 with 56.7% over Paul Schulte; first won 2021 over former Mayor Larry Johnson.
  • Cast the only recorded No vote in the minutes reviewed (Jun 5, 2024 budget, passed 4-1).
  • Liaison to the Budget and Public Safety committees.
Open compare
Analytical assessment, not factLow confidence
OverallLean conservative
FiscalLean conservative
Social
Very liberalModerateVery conservative

Lean conservative

Evidence behind this assessment
  • The only dissent in the period: on June 5, 2024 he cast the council's sole No vote, on Res. 24-12 (FY2024-25 budget). He asked what the tax increase would pay for (minutes). He then voted Yes on the final rate on Aug 21, 2024 (minutes).
  • Other votes:
    • Moved to table the 2025 General Plan comprehensive revision (minutes).
    • Voted Yes on the 2026 5.02% increase.
  • Stated positions in the 2025 voter guide:
    • Spending: "focus on the most critical needs," with extras funded by donations or grants.
    • ICE: officers should assist with arrests on actionable warrants, but the city lacks the "bandwidth to 'deputize' our officers." This rejects 287(g)-style deputization on capacity grounds, not principle.
    • Housing: favors owner-occupancy and rental limits.
  • Contributors: Rep. Jim Dunnigan's campaign (a Republican state legislator) gave $600, and County Council Member Aimee Winder Newton (Republican) gave $250. This is a moderate signal of ties to mainstream Utah Republican officials.
  • X mention: Rep. Burgess Owens (R) praised him publicly (post). This is a weak signal.
  • Own X account: none found.

Rating method

Ask about this official's record

Answers are estimates of likely positions based only on this official's public record (votes, bills, statements and posts) as stored on this site. They are not statements by the official and may be incomplete. Check the linked sources.

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Full details below are grouped by area. Facts link to public sources; "[COMPUTED]" marks derived dates.

Votes & record

Source: approved Taylorsville City Council minutes posted on the Utah Public Notice Website, body 720. The text-searchable minutes cover June 2024 through Sept 2026.

Pattern: in every text-searchable set of minutes from June 2024 to Sept 2026, the only non-unanimous council vote was June 5, 2024. That vote was Resolution 24-12 (FY2024-25 budget), which passed 4-1 with Council Member Knudsen voting No (minutes). Every other recorded vote reviewed was unanimous among the members present.

Date Item Result Source
Jun 5, 2024 Res. 24-12, FY2024-25 budgetWhat it does: Official item text: Res. 24-12, FY2024-25 budget. A Yea vote supported doing that. council minutes Passed 4-1 (Knudsen No) minutes
Aug 21, 2024 Res. 24-20, property-tax rate 0.000851 (25.05% revenue increase, about $928,881)What it does: Official item text: Res. 24-20, property-tax rate 0.000851 (25.05% revenue increase, about $928,881). A Yea vote supported doing that. council minutes Passed 5-0 (Harker moved, Barbieri seconded) minutes, resolution
Aug 21, 2024 Res. 24-21, final FY2024-25 budget (park Phase 2 $6M, streetlights, canal trails, bridge, roads)What it does: Official item text: Res. 24-21, final FY2024-25 budget (park Phase 2 $6M, streetlights, canal trails, bridge, roads). A Yea vote supported doing that. council minutes Passed 5-0 minutes
Jun 4, 2025 Ord. 25-06, General Plan comprehensive revisionWhat it does: Official item text: Ord. 25-06, General Plan comprehensive revision. This vote decided whether to set the item aside for now. A Yea vote supported setting it aside. council minutes Tabled 5-0 (Knudsen moved) minutes
Dec 17, 2025 Ords. 25-12 to 25-14, Summit Vista "Motion" rezoneWhat it does: Official item text: Ords. 25-12 to 25-14, Summit Vista "Motion" rezone. A Yea vote supported doing that. council minutes Tally not retrieved notice
May 6, 2026 Res. 26-07 and 26-08, intent to exceed the certified tax rateWhat it does: Would state the city's intent to set a property-tax rate above the certified tax rate. A Yea vote supported doing that. council minutes Passed 5-0 minutes, agenda
May 6, 2026 Res. 26-12, renewal of the order-to-disperse / gang-loitering zone for Taylorsville DayzzWhat it does: Would renew the order-to-disperse / gang-loitering zone for Taylorsville Dayzz. A Yea vote supported doing that. council minutes Passed 5-0 minutes
Jun 3, 2026 Res. 26-16, FY2026-27 budget (wall project removed by amendment)What it does: Would adopt the city's FY2026-27 budget. A Yea vote supported doing that. council minutes Passed 5-0 minutes
Jun 17, 2026 Res. 26-18 and 26-19What it does: Would act on the numbered items named here; the record lists them only by number, so see the linked minutes for details. A Yea vote supported doing that. council minutes Passed 4-0 (Harker absent) minutes
Aug 12, 2026 Res. 26-21, final rate 0.000860, up from certified 0.000819 (5.02% increase, about $234,800 a year, about $11.23 a year on a $498,000 home, for public works and roads)What it does: Would set the city's final property-tax rate at 0.000860, above the certified rate of 0.000819, for public works and roads. A Yea vote supported doing that. council minutes Passed 5-0 (Harker moved, Burgess seconded) minutes, notice
Aug 12, 2026 Res. 26-22, final FY2026-27 budgetWhat it does: Official item text: Res. 26-22, final FY2026-27 budget. A Yea vote supported doing that. council minutes Passed 5-0 (Barbieri moved) minutes
Sep 2, 2026 Ord. 26-08, Summit Vista height/setback text amendment (Planning Commission had recommended denial)What it does: Would allow a height and setback text amendment for Summit Vista. A Yea vote supported doing that. council minutes Passed 5-0 (Barbieri moved) minutes
Sep 2, 2026 Res. 26-23, Summit Vista development agreement; Res. 26-24 (surplus); Res. 26-25 (JAG grant)What it does: Would approve the Summit Vista development agreement and accept a surplus and a JAG grant. A Yea vote supported doing that. council minutes Each passed 5-0 minutes
Sep 16, 2026 Ords. 26-10 to 26-13, "Solstice at 54th" (Edge Homes Utah; 16.5 acres at 3855 W 5400 S; about 19 units/acre; at least 80% owner-occupied; 30 affordable units; contingent on the property closing)What it does: Would allow a development of about 19 units per acre on 16.5 acres of land at 3855 W 5400 S. A Yea vote supported doing that. council minutes Each passed 5-0 (Barbieri, Burgess, Cochran, and Harker each moved one) minutes

His role in the record above:

  • Only recorded dissent in the period reviewed: voted No on Res. 24-12 (FY2024-25 budget), June 5, 2024. At that meeting he asked what the proposed tax increase would pay for (minutes).
  • Voted Yes on the Aug 21, 2024 rate and final budget (5-0).
  • Moved to table the 2025 General Plan revision (June 4, 2025).
  • Voted Yes on the 2026 tax increase and budget items.
Campaign finance

Municipal candidates file with the Taylorsville City Recorder (Utah Code 10-3-208). The council limit is $1,500 per cycle (City Code 2.36.030). Reports are listed on the 2025 candidate statements index (archived).

Report (2025 cycle) Contributions Expenditures Ending balance Source
28-day pre-general (carried forward $107.29) $3,542.19 (includes $2,192.19 candidate loan) $3,649.48 about $0 doc 11181
7-day pre-general $0 $0 $0 doc 11235
Post-general (received Nov 26, 2025) $50.00 $50.00 $0 doc 11341
  • Itemized contributions (28-day report):
    • Aimee Winder Newton, $250 (6/10/2025)
    • Jim Dunnigan Campaign, $600 (9/4/2025)
    • Several individuals at $50–$200 each
    • Loan from the candidate, $2,192.19
  • Itemized expenditures (28-day report):
    • $50 filing fee
    • Web hosting (GoDaddy)
    • Door hangers
    • City Journals advertisement, $600
    • Mailers, $1,786.95
  • Headline: about $3.6K raised in 2025, of which about $2.2K was a self-loan and about $1.35K came from donors. Spending was about $3.7K, leaving a $0 balance.
  • 2021 reports: not retrieved.
Disclosures
  • 2026 Conflict of Interest Disclosure, signed Jan 15, 2026; the recorder "received" signature is blank on the posted copy (doc 11506):
    • Employment: University of Utah, Accounting Supervisor (budget and finances, Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering).
    • Earnings: Integrated Realty, which pays net rental income on rental properties he owns (three, per the form).
    • Real property: one rental property in Taylorsville is disclosed. The address appears on the form and is intentionally omitted here.
  • 2025 COI disclosure, signed May 19, 2025 (doc 10225). The full form was not reviewed.
Election history
Year Office Result Source
2021 Council D5 Won: 914 (52.56%) vs. former Mayor Larry Johnson, 825 SLCo 2021
2025 Council D5 Won: 1,002 (56.71%) vs. Paul Schulte, 765 SLCo 2025
Lobbying & ethics
  • No lobbyist ties found in the public records reviewed.
  • No ethics complaint found in PSERC materials reviewed.
  • His disclosed rental-property income relates to housing generally. No recusals on housing or land-use items were noted in the minutes reviewed, and no item reviewed appeared to involve his disclosed property. This is noted without any finding of conflict.
Office & term
  • Office: Taylorsville City Council, District 5 (nonpartisan). Council Chair (city council page, archived Jul 8, 2026). Listed on ballots as Robert (Bob) Knudsen.
  • Current term: January 2026 through early January 2030 (second term). Re-elected Nov 4, 2025 (SLCo 2025); sworn in Jan 7, 2026 (Taylorsville City on X).
  • On the council since: January 2022 (first elected 2021).
  • Committee liaison assignments: Budget Committee; Public Safety Committee (council page).
  • Next election for this seat: Nov 6, 2029 [COMPUTED].
Stated affiliation
  • Party: The office is nonpartisan, so no party label appears on the ballot. No publicly documented party registration was found.
  • Self-description in the 2025 voter guide (City Journals, Oct 7, 2025):
    • Spending: focus on the most critical needs first, and fund extra "nice to have" items through donations or grants when available (paraphrased).
    • ICE: officers should help with arrests on actionable warrants for crimes committed in the city. However, "we do not have the bandwidth to 'deputize' our officers to work on matters that are being undertaken by ICE."
    • Housing: prefers site-specific development agreements with owner-occupancy and rental limits for higher-density projects.
  • Contributions from elected officials of record: State Rep. Jim Dunnigan's campaign gave $600, and Salt Lake County Council Member Aimee Winder Newton gave $250 (see Campaign finance). Both hold partisan offices as Republicans.
  • Public praise: U.S. Rep. Burgess Owens (R-UT4) posted about him (X). This is not a documented formal endorsement.
Contact (official)
Known gaps

Gaps

  • 2021 candidate reports, and annual statements. Custodian: City Recorder.
  • Full 2025 COI form.
  • Recorder's receipt date for the 2026 COI form.
  • Approved minutes for Jan–May 2024 are image scans and were not text-searched. Minutes for Aug 20, 2025 and Sept–Dec 2025 were not retrieved, so vote tallies for those meetings, including the Dec 17, 2025 Summit Vista rezone, are unverified. Custodian: Taylorsville City Recorder; also available on PMN.
  • Annual March 1 campaign finance statements required by City Code 2.36.040 were not retrieved. Custodian: City Recorder.
  • lobbyist.utah.gov was not successfully searched.
  • No ethics-complaint records from the city were obtained. Custodian: City Recorder / City Attorney; also the Political Subdivisions Ethics Review Commission.
About this office: Taylorsville City Council member

One of five part-time council members who are Taylorsville's legislative branch: they pass city laws, adopt the budget and set the property tax rate, and oversee (but do not run) city operations.

Role
Legislator for one of five city districts
Hours
Part-time
Pay
$23,029 paid in FY2026; about $23,850 budgeted for FY2027 (estimated), plus partial health and retirement benefits
Typical week
Two Wednesday-evening meetings a month (6:00 p.m. briefing, 6:30 p.m. regular meeting), packet reading, resident calls and emails, community events

Responsibilities and powers

  • Taylorsville uses the council-mayor form of government: the council is the legislative branch, enacting ordinances and adopting the annual budget, while the mayor is the chief executive (Taylorsville 2023 financial report transmittal letter; Utah Code 10-3b-201).
  • Under state law the council passes ordinances, appropriates funds and reviews municipal administration, and elects one of its members as chair (Utah Code 10-3b-203).
  • Limits: council members may not direct hiring or firing (except in writing), interfere with an executive officer's duties, or give orders to the mayor's staff. A member may not hold any other paid job with the city (10-3b-203).
  • Checks on the mayor: the mayor's key appointments (city administrator, recorder, treasurer, engineer, attorney) need the council's advice and consent (10-3b-202). The council can override a mayoral veto of an ordinance, tax levy or appropriation with two-thirds of all members (10-3b-204).
  • Five members, each elected by district to a four-year, nonpartisan term; terms are staggered (Districts 1–3 next on the ballot Nov 2, 2027 [COMPUTED]; Districts 4–5 in 2029). Candidates must live in their district (Utah Code 20A-9-203).
  • Each member files a conflict-of-interest disclosure under Utah Code 10-3-1306.

A typical week

  • Meetings: the council "will typically hold its City Council meetings ... on the first and third Wednesdays of each month," with a briefing session at 6:00 p.m. followed by the regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers (Room 140), 2600 W Taylorsville Blvd (2026 meeting schedule notice). That is about 24 regular meetings a year, plus occasional special meetings.
  • What a meeting looks like: minutes show the mayor, city administrator, city recorder, police chief, city attorney and a Unified Fire representative attending; the briefing reviews the agenda, and the regular meeting covers citizen comment, ordinances, resolutions and contracts (Feb 4, 2026 minutes; Jun 17, 2026 minutes). Agendas and packets are posted on the Utah Public Notice Website (body 720).
  • Between meetings [INFERRED]: reading agenda packets, answering district residents' calls and emails, meeting with staff for briefings, and attending city events and community council meetings.
  • Seasonal cycle: Taylorsville's fiscal year runs July–June. Budget work peaks in May–June (tentative budget, then adoption). In 2026 the council considered a 5% property tax increase on June 17 (Resolution 26-18) (Jun 17, 2026 minutes) and adopted the final FY2026-27 budget on Aug 12, 2026 after the truth-in-taxation process (Res. 26-21, utah.gov/pmn/files/1467231.pdf).

Time commitment

  • Part-time. Roughly 10–20 hours a week [INFERRED: two evening meetings a month of about one to three hours, plus packet preparation, constituent contact and events; heavier in budget season]. Most members hold other jobs.

Staff and budget

  • Council members have no personal staff; the City Recorder's office supports the council [INFERRED from meeting minutes listing the recorder as council staff].
  • City Council department budget: $206,576 requested for FY2027 (council salaries $119,233, benefits $33,843, plus the city's annual audit, $38,000) (Taylorsville FY27 budget).
  • The council oversees a General Fund of about $35.5 million (FY2027 requested), the largest piece being Police at $15.3 million (same source).

Pay

  • $23,029 paid in FY2026 (Transparent Utah, Harker and Burgess). The FY2027 budget of $119,233 for five seats works out to about $23,850 each (estimated).
  • City code §2.14.040 sets council pay and ties raises to staff general raises. The city also pays half the cheapest single health premium (or that amount to retirement), retirement and life insurance, and reimburses internet and IRS-rate mileage. Benefits paid in FY2026 were about $6,450–$7,110 per member.

Sources

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