How to run for local office

How the dates are labeled

• CONFIRMED: An official source states this exact date, or the statute fixes it with no calculation. A source link is given.
• CALCULATED: I applied the current statute (as amended through the 2026 General Session) to the 2027 calendar. No Taylorsville 2027 election notice exists yet. The city normally posts it in April on the Utah Public Notice Website.
• ⚠ CHECK: An open question for the City Recorder.

Access note

• taylorsvilleut.gov returns "Access Denied" to automated tools, and its archive.org copies timed out.
• Taylorsville facts below therefore come from three other places:
  • The city's own filings on the Utah Public Notice Website (utah.gov/pmn): election notices, ordinances, the fee schedule, minutes, and budgets.
  • The city's 2025 campaign-finance report form.
  • The AmLegal code library.
• Statutes were read directly at le.utah.gov.

0. The 60-second version

1. Eligibility

Confirm you are in District 3

• County district map PDF: https://www.saltlakecounty.gov/globalassets/1-site-files/clerk/elections/election-maps/municipal-maps/taylorsville/taylorsville-3.pdf (verified live Oct 9, 2026).
• County voter lookup: linked from https://www.saltlakecounty.gov/clerk/elections/candidate-filing/how-to/
• Statewide: https://vote.utah.gov
• District lines will not change before 2027. Redistricting follows the next census (10-3-205.5(2)(b)).

2. Filing: how, where, what it costs

2.1 When and where

• Window: 8 a.m. on the first business day of June until 5 p.m. on the fourth business day after that. If that day is a Friday, the window instead closes at 5 p.m. the next business day. (20A-9-203(3)(d), current version effective 5/25/2026)
  • For 2027: Tue Jun 1, 8:00 a.m. through Mon Jun 7, 5:00 p.m.
  • Status: CONFIRMED for the statewide window. Park City's official 2027 notice lists "June 1, 2, 3, 4, and 7, 2027." Taylorsville's own 2027 notice is still pending; it is normally posted in April under PMN body "Taylorsville Recorder."
  • Office hours: the Recorder must keep 8 a.m.–5 p.m. hours on each filing day (10-3-301(3)(b)).
• Where: City Recorder Jamie Brooks, MMC, 2nd floor, Taylorsville City Hall, 2600 W Taylorsville Blvd. Phone 801-955-2006, jbrooks@taylorsvilleut.gov. Source: 2025 notice above.
• In person vs. agent: You must file in person. An agent may file only if all four of these are true (20A-9-203(3)(b)):
  1. You are outside Utah during the entire filing period.
  2. The agent appears in person.
  3. You join by live video with the Recorder.
  4. You give the Recorder an email address.
  • The agent may not sign the declaration for you (20A-9-203(5)(b)).

2.2 What happens at the counter (20A-9-203(4)–(5))

1. The Recorder reads you the qualifications, and you state that you meet them.
2. You sign the sworn declaration of candidacy. It lists your residence address, phone, the office, and the term, and includes your promise to file all finance reports.
   • Your residence address goes on a sworn form. Ask the Recorder which parts are posted publicly.
   • "Withheld" or "at-risk" voter status may not cover this form. ⚠ CHECK.
3. You submit a completed conflict-of-interest disclosure statement (details in §6). Without it, the city may not accept your declaration (10-3-301.5(4)).
4. You receive:
   • The campaign-finance law and the city ordinance (the city's limits are enforceable only if the Recorder notifies you; 10-3-208(9)(b), (10)).
   • The vote.utah.gov voter-information profile rules and deadline.
   • The voluntary Fair Campaign Practices pledge.
   • You must also provide an email address you actively monitor.
5. Name on the ballot: By default your legal first name plus surname appear. A nickname or variation must be requested in writing by 5 p.m. Mon Jun 7, 2027. A nickname needs your affidavit plus affidavits from 5 non-family county residents. (20A-6-109: https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title20A/Chapter6/20A-6-S109.html)
6. You pay the fee.

2.3 Fee and the petition alternative

Practical advice

• Budget $50 to $100.
• To use the petition discount:
  • Use the statutory petition form, which since 2026 includes a warning to withheld/at-risk voters (20A-9-203(5)(c)).
  • Collect 35–40 signatures from registered voters who live in Taylorsville, so you still clear 25 if some are disqualified or withdrawn.
  • File it during the window.
• ⚠ CHECK the exact FY2026-27 fee (the schedule that will apply on Jun 1, 2027).

2.4 After filing

3. Primary, ranked-choice voting, and the general

• Primary only if needed. Under 20A-9-404(2), there is no primary when the number of candidates is not more than twice the seats. For D3 that means 1–2 candidates go straight to November, and 3 or more trigger an Aug 10, 2027 primary where the top two advance. https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title20A/Chapter9/20A-9-S404.html ; date rule in 20A-1-201.5(2): https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title20A/Chapter1/20A-1-S201.5.html
• Convention/partisan nomination option. A 3rd–5th class city may replace the primary with party conventions by ordinance adopted before May 1 (20A-9-404(3)–(4)). I found no sign Taylorsville has done so, and its races have been nonpartisan. ⚠ CHECK that no such ordinance is adopted before May 1, 2027.
• Ranked-choice voting: not available in 2027.
  • Taylorsville never participated:
    • 2019: only Payson and Vineyard.
    • 2021: 23 cities, Taylorsville not among them (https://www.ksl.com/article/news/politics/here-are-the-23-utah-municipalities-testing-ranked-choice-voting-this-year/50164045).
    • 2023: 12 cities, not Taylorsville (https://www.kuer.org/politics-government/2023-11-01/new-to-ranked-choice-voting-heres-how-it-works).
    • 2025: Salt Lake County RCV contests were in Salt Lake City, Midvale, South Salt Lake, and Millcreek; Taylorsville's 2025 races used plurality voting (https://www.saltlakecounty.gov/clerk/elections/rankedchoice/ ; results https://www.saltlakecounty.gov/globalassets/1-site-files/clerk/elections/election-results/2025-municipal-general-election-data.pdf).
  • The pilot (Utah Code 20A-4, Part 6) ended Jan 1, 2026:
    • Title 20A, Chapter 4 now lists only Parts 1–5 (https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title20A/Chapter4/20A-4.html).
    • The 2026 rewrite of 20A-9-203 removed its cross-references to the pilot (compare the superseded 5/7/2025 version, https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title20A/Chapter9/C20A-9-S203_2025050720250507.pdf).
    • A 2025 proposal to extend it (SB 127) was not enacted.
  • Unless the 2027 Legislature creates a new option before the spring 2027 deadlines, D3 will use plurality voting.
• Who runs the election. Salt Lake County conducts it under contract. Voting is by mail, with drop boxes and vote centers. In 2025 the county stated that mail ballots had to be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day, and postmarks did not count. https://www.saltlakecounty.gov/clerk/elections/2025general/

4. Campaign finance

4.1 When you become a "candidate"

• Under state law, you are a candidate once you file a declaration, or once you receive contributions, make expenditures, or consent to someone else doing so to bring about your election (10-3-208(1)(c)). https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title10/Chapter3/10-3-S208.html
• Practical effect: the first campaign dollar you raise or spend, even before June 2027, makes you a "candidate."
• That can trigger Taylorsville's March 1 annual report (§4.3).

4.2 Bank account and money handling

• Deposit every contribution in a separate campaign account at a financial institution. Never mix it with personal or business funds (10-3-208(3)).
• Open the account before accepting any money. Ask the bank about an EIN for the campaign. Many banks require one, but that is a bank/IRS matter, not a city rule.
• Anonymous contributions:
  • City rule: prohibited outright. Any anonymous contribution goes to the city treasurer for the general fund, and every contributor must give you a name and address (TCC 2.36.030(B)).
  • State rule: an anonymous cash or check contribution over $50 must be given to a government general fund or a 501(c)(3) within 30 days (10-3-208(8)).
• Personal use is banned, with a detailed permitted/prohibited list in 10-3-209, as rewritten by SB 321 (2026). Not allowed: rent, mortgage, household items, personal clothing, vacations, salary to yourself, and similar. Allowed: campaign costs, mileage, childcare while campaigning, charitable donations, and repaying your own loans to the campaign.

4.3 Contribution limits (Taylorsville ordinance, stricter than state law)

• Source: the text is quoted on the City Recorder's 2025 campaign-finance report form, citing Ord. 13-19, 8-7-2013 .
• The limit is still current: on Jan 3, 2024 a council member proposed raising "the $1,500 limit," and no amendment followed (minutes: https://www.utah.gov/pmn/files/1072715.pdf).
• ⚠ CHECK:
  • How the Recorder defines an "election cycle," and whether in-kind contributions count toward the $1,500.
  • Whether the ordinance has changed since the AmLegal code was last updated (current through Ord. 26-06, May 6, 2026: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/taylorsvilleut/latest/taylorsville_ut/0-0-0-1).

4.4 Reports: what, where, when

• Pattern check against the city's 2025 forms:
  • Primary report Aug 5, 2025 (7 days before Aug 12).
  • Post-primary Sep 11.
  • 28-day report Oct 7.
  • 7-day report Oct 28.
  • Post-general Dec 4.
  • Each report covers activity through 5 days before it is due; the first report covers activity from Jan 1 of the election year.
• Content: Itemize every contribution (amount and donor name) and every expenditure (amount and payee), including in-kind contributions. If you both raise and spend $500 or less, you may report totals only (10-3-208(7)).
• Where to file: With the City Recorder, by email or hand delivery. The city's own form: "Email … jbrooks@taylorsvilleut.gov or hand deliver … City Hall."
  • The Recorder posts reports on the city website within 7 business days and sends the Lt. Governor a link (10-3-208(11)).
  • Municipal candidates do not file on disclosures.utah.gov. "Municipal candidates must file reports with their municipal clerk/recorder": https://vote.utah.gov/resources-for-candidates-political-groups-parties/
  • City disclosure page: https://www.taylorsvilleut.gov/government/elections/financial-disclosures
• Penalties: A report is "filed" only when received by 5 p.m. (10-3-208(16)).
  • Late: the Recorder may impose a $50 fine.
  • More than 24 hours late: mandatory disqualification. Votes for you are not counted (10-3-208(12)).
  • The Recorder must send you written notice of the rules and dates at filing and again 35 days before the general, about Tue Sep 28, 2027 (10-3-208(10)).

5. Signs and advertising

6. Conflict-of-interest disclosures

1. At filing (required since 2025): Utah Code 10-3-301.5 (enacted 2025, ch. 90).
   • The Recorder gives you a form, and you must submit it completed when you file, or the declaration cannot be accepted.
   • The city posts it online until the day after the general-election canvass.
   • The form tracks the items in 20A-11-1604(6):
     • Your current employers and those from the past year.
     • Entities you own or serve as an officer of.
     • Every source of $5,000 or more in income.
     • Stocks or bonds of $5,000 or more (excluding managed funds).
     • Paid leadership roles or board seats.
     • Optional: real property you think may pose a conflict.
     • Your spouse's name, and your spouse's employers if they may pose a conflict.
     • Unrelated adults in your household.
     • Any other conflicts you choose to list.
   • Sources: https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title10/Chapter3/10-3-S301.5.html ; https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title10/Chapter3/10-3-S301.html (10-3-301(3)(a)(ii))
   • 2026 note: HB 446 (2026), which would have added tax liens and criminal convictions to this form, FAILED (https://le.utah.gov/~2026/bills/static/HB0446.html). The form is unchanged.
2. Once elected:
   • A sworn disclosure of any interest over $5,000 in a business the city regulates, filed with the mayor and the Recorder and posted online for your whole term (10-3-1306: https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title10/Chapter3/10-3-S1306.html).
   • Annual officeholder conflict-of-interest statements under the Municipal Officers' and Employees' Ethics Act (10-3-13xx; Taylorsville posts 2025 and 2026 statements for each council member).

7. The job: pay and time

9. Timeline: Oct 2026 → Jan 2028

10. What changed in 2025–2026 (and what to watch in 2027)

11. Open questions we are confirming with the City Recorder (Jamie Brooks, 801-955-2006, jbrooks@taylorsvilleut.gov)

1. Fee: For a D3 council filing in June 2027, is the fee $50 (as in the 2025 notice) or $100 (Consolidated Fee Schedule)? What is the petition-discounted amount? Does the petition need registered voters (state standard) or just residents aged 18+ (city code)? Is there a city petition form?
2. District residency: Does the city apply any minimum time living in D3, or only the 12-month city rule plus residence in D3 at filing and election?
3. March 1 report (TCC 2.36.040): Does a person who starts raising or spending money before filing owe a Mar 1, 2027 statement? Is there a form?
4. Contribution cap (TCC 2.36.030): How does the city define "election cycle"? Do in-kind contributions count toward the $1,500? Has the cap changed since 2013?
5. Year-end report (SB 321): Will the city use a combined form for the Jan 10 state report and the Mar 1 city report?
6. Withdrawal: What is the last date to withdraw and keep your name off the 2027 ballot?
7. Voter-info profile: If D3 has no primary, is the 200-word statement due Jun 25 or Sep 3, 2027?
8. Address privacy: Which parts of the declaration and COI form are posted online? Can a residence address be withheld from the web posting?
9. Signs: How will the city apply the new state park-strip rule (20A-17-103) alongside TCC 13.26? Where is the city's designated deposit site for removed signs?
10. Pay: What is the current council base salary after the post-2008 adjustments? Transparent Utah (https://transparent.utah.gov/) also shows actual pay.
11. Swearing-in: What date is the January 2028 oath ceremony and orientation?
12. 2027 notice: When will the 2027 election notice be posted, and will it list D1, D2, and D3?

12. Source index

• Utah Code (le.utah.gov), read Oct 9, 2026:
  • 20A-9-203 (municipal declaration/petition): https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title20A/Chapter9/20A-9-S203.html
  • 20A-9-404 (municipal primary): https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title20A/Chapter9/20A-9-S404.html
  • 20A-1-201.5 (primary date): https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title20A/Chapter1/20A-1-S201.5.html
  • 10-3-201 (term start): https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title10/Chapter3/10-3-S201.html
  • 10-3-208 (municipal campaign finance): https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title10/Chapter3/10-3-S208.html
  • 10-3-301 (eligibility / residency in office): https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title10/Chapter3/10-3-S301.html
  • 10-3-301.5 (candidate COI): https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title10/Chapter3/10-3-S301.5.html
  • 10-3-1306 (officer business-interest disclosure): https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title10/Chapter3/10-3-S1306.html
  • 20A-6-109 (ballot name): https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title20A/Chapter6/20A-6-S109.html
  • 20A-9-601 (write-ins): https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title20A/Chapter9/20A-9-S601.html
  • 20A-7-801 (voter info website): https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title20A/Chapter7/20A-7-S801.html
  • 20A-17-103 (signs on public property and park strips): https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title20A/Chapter17/20A-17-S103.html
  • 20A-11-901 (ad disclaimers): https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title20A/Chapter11/20A-11-S901.html
  • 20A-1-501 (candidate vacancies): https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title20A/Chapter1/20A-1-S501.html
  • Note: 20A-11 Part 13 covers State School Board candidates, not municipal ones. Municipal campaign finance is in 10-3-208 through 10-3-209.3.
• Taylorsville (via utah.gov/pmn):
  • 2025 election notice: https://www.utah.gov/pmn/files/1261639.pdf
  • Ord. 25-07: https://www.utah.gov/pmn/files/1279135.pdf
  • Fee schedule Res. 25-17: https://www.utah.gov/pmn/files/1279151.pdf
  • FY2027 budget: https://www.utah.gov/pmn/files/1441579.pdf
  • Minutes Jan 3, 2024: https://www.utah.gov/pmn/files/1072715.pdf
  • Minutes Aug 5, 2026: https://www.utah.gov/pmn/files/1474659.pdf
  • Ord. 25-16: https://www.utah.gov/pmn/files/1368801.pdf
  • City 2025 campaign-finance form, quoting TCC 2.36.030–.040: posted on the city's 2025 candidate statements page.
• Taylorsville code (AmLegal): https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/taylorsvilleut/latest/taylorsville_ut/0-0-0-1 (2.14.040 pay: …/0-0-0-253 ; ch. 13.26 signs: …/0-0-0-8918)
• Salt Lake County:
  • D3 map: https://www.saltlakecounty.gov/globalassets/1-site-files/clerk/elections/election-maps/municipal-maps/taylorsville/taylorsville-3.pdf
  • 2025 dates PDF (above)
  • RCV page: https://www.saltlakecounty.gov/clerk/elections/rankedchoice/
• 2027 statewide dates confirmed in an official municipal notice: Park City, https://www.parkcity.gov/government/elections/index.php
• 2026 session summary: Utah League of Cities and Towns, https://www.ulct.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2026-Session-Recap_FINAL.pdf