City councilman and incumbant commissioner vie for Franklin County District 1 commission seat
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PRESTON: Preston City Councilman Brent Dodge and incumbent Franklin County Commissioner Zan Bowles are running for the county’s District 1 commission seat in the upcoming primary election. Both men are Republicans.
EastIdahoNews.com reached out to each candidate for a questionnaire. Their responses were required to be 250 words or fewer. Dodge and Bowles’ unedited responses are included below.
The candidate who wins the primary will be on the general election ballot on Nov. 3. The primary election will be held on May 19.
For more candidate questionnaires and further information on this year’s primary election, check out East Idaho Elects.
Tell us about yourself — include information about your family, career, education, volunteer work, and any prior experience in public office.
Dodge: My name is Brent Dodge. My wife, Patti, and I have been married for 39 years. We have five children, all married, and nine grandchildren. Family has always been at the center of my life, and it is one of the reasons I care so deeply about the future of Franklin County.
I have spent more than 30 years as a mortgage broker with Affiliated Home Loans, helping veterans, first-time homebuyers, and investors. That work has taught me how to listen, solve problems, understand finances, and help people make sound decisions during important moments in their lives.
From 1989 to 1999, I served in the Utah National Guard as a 12C Combat Engineer. I earned a degree in social science from Excelsior College. I have also served in the Boy Scouts of America as a Scoutmaster, with the Preston Lions Club, and in volunteer service through my church.
For the past six and a half years, I have served on the Preston City Council. During that time, I have been involved in budgeting, zoning, planning, infrastructure projects, and securing grant funding.
I am proud that through careful management, our city has strengthened its financial position while moving major projects forward. I believe in service, follow through, and doing the work needed to help our community succeed.
Bowles: I am a lifelong resident of Franklin County, raised in Fairview before moving to Cub River 19 years ago. My commitment to this community is deeply personal—I have five children and 20 grandchildren, most of which live here in the county
For over 40 years, I owned and operated a local electrical business. This experience gave me a firsthand understanding of the hard work, fiscal responsibility, and common sense required to keep a local economy thriving.
My path to public office has been paved by decades of service, including positions on the cemetery, fair, and school boards, alongside 20 years in various church leadership roles.
In 2024, I was honored to be elected as your County Commissioner for a two-year term. During this time, I have focused on transparent, neighborly leadership, and practical problem-solving.
I am now seeking a four-year term to provide steady continuity and to ensure that Franklin County remains a strong, vibrant place for our families to live and work.
Why are you seeking political office within your community? Briefly explain your political platform.
Dodge: I am seeking office because I care deeply about Franklin County and believe local government
works best when it is transparent, fiscally responsible, and truly connected to the people it serves. I am not running to make noise. I am running to help get things done.
My platform is built on a few simple principles. First, I believe in transparency. People should be able to see what their county government is doing, understand how decisions are being made, and easily access public information.
Second, I believe in communication and accountability. Residents deserve leaders who will listen, respond, and follow through.
Third, I believe in sound budgeting and responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars. County government should live within its means, plan carefully, and look for grant opportunities that reduce the burden on local taxpayers.
I also believe Franklin County needs thoughtful planning for the future. Growth, land use, roads, and infrastructure all matter. We need to protect what makes this county a great place to live while making wise decisions for the years ahead. My approach is simple: listen to people, study the facts, treat people with respect, and make common sense decisions that serve the whole county.
Bowles: I am seeking to continue as County Commissioner because I have the time, the energy, and a deep-seated desire to give back to the place that has given my family so much. My wife has been a great encouragement in this journey; she has reminded me that our children grew up watching me serve, and it is now important for our 20 grandchildren to see me serve in the community.
My political platform is built on three main pillars: Fiscal Responsibility, Infrastructure Management, and Transparent Governance. With over 40 years of experience running a small business, I am committed to managing our tax dollars with the same care I managed my own—prioritizing essential services and avoiding unnecessary debt.
I will continue to focus on the long-term maintenance of our county roads and bridges, ensuring our rural community remains accessible and safe. As our region grows, I aim to preserve our rural, agriculture heritage while supporting the local businesses and managed growth.
Service has been the cornerstone of my life and I am eager to continue doing so.
What are the greatest challenges facing people in your county? What is your plan to meet and overcome those challenges?
Dodge: One of the biggest challenges facing people in Franklin County is frustration and confusion about how county decisions are made, how money is being spent, and whether the public has enough access to the information they need. When people do not feel informed, trust in government begins to slip.
My plan is to improve transparency and public access in practical ways. County meetings should be recorded and posted online so working families, business owners, and residents with busy schedules can stay informed on their own time. Public information should not be hard to find.
I also believe the county website should provide better access to budgets, meeting materials, notices, and useful resources.
Another challenge is making sure the county plans wisely for the future while protecting the values and way of life people care about. Roads, land use, infrastructure, and growth all need careful attention.
My background in mortgage lending, real estate, budgeting, and finance has given me a strong understanding of long term planning and fiscal responsibility. People want leadership they can trust. They want honest answers, open communication, and thoughtful decisions.
Bowles: I believe the greatest challenge facing Franklin County is the pressure of rapid growth. It is important to stay ahead of development rather than constantly trying to catch up.
Our challenge is to protect our identity as a rural, agriculture-based community while ensuring that inevitable growth is both reasonable and managed. We cannot allow our current infrastructure and resources to be overwhelmed at the expense of existing taxpayers.
Our zoning and land-use policies need to protect our farmers and ranchers. Agriculture is the backbone of our economy and our way of life; growth should complement our rural landscape, not replace it.
Growth must be tied to resource availability, our water and natural resources need to be managed sustainably so that Franklin County remains viable for our future generations.
By prioritizing managed growth over unchecked expansion, we can welcome new opportunities without sacrificing the peace and heritage that make our county home.
How will you best represent the views of your constituents – even those with differing political views? How do partisan politics play into your role as an elected leader?
Dodge: I believe the best way to represent my constituents, including those who may disagree with me, is
to listen carefully, communicate openly, and lead with transparency and accountability. Many of the frustrations people have with government come back to the same basic issues: they do not feel heard, they do not feel informed, and they do not always understand how decisions are being made.
Listening is one of my strengths. I believe good leadership means hearing people out, weighing different viewpoints, and making thoughtful decisions based on what is best for the county as a whole. I do not believe leadership means only listening to those who already agree with you.
At the county level, partisan politics should play a limited role. Local government is not about slogans. It is about roads, budgets, planning, public safety, county services, and doing the day-to-day work that affects people’s lives. My job as an elected leader would be to represent all the people of Franklin County fairly and respectfully, whether they voted for me or not.
Bowles: I have long believed that partisan politics have very little place in local government. At the county level, our job is to ensure our roads are safe, our budget is balanced, and our community services are reliable. These aren’t Republican or Democratic issues; they are Franklin County issues.
My approach to representing all constituents, regardless of their political leanings, is simple, I am always available. Whether it’s a phone call, an email, or a conversation at the grocery store, I believe a Commissioner’s primary job is to listen.
My entire career depended on being available and I continue to operate that way as a County Commissioner, which means being accessible at all times to discuss concerns and possible solutions. I don’t look at who someone voted for when they come to me with a problem, I look at them as a neighbor.
My commitment is to lead with common sense and transparency, ensuring that every resident feels heard and that our decisions are based on what is best for the long-term health of our county, rather than any political agenda.
What parts of the county budget could use more funding? Where are places in the budget where cuts could be made?
Dodge: Based on what I have reviewed so far, road maintenance is one area that deserves close attention. Residents care deeply about the condition of county roads, and they want confidence that road funds are being allocated fairly, wisely, and where the need is greatest. That is an area I would want to review carefully.
I also believe the county should invest in better public access to information. Improving online access to meeting records, budgets, notices, and public resources is a practical way to serve residents better.
As for cuts, I do not believe in making promises before the facts are in. I want to study the numbers carefully and understand where inefficiencies may exist before recommending reductions. I have already made public records requests regarding areas I believe deserve closer review, including the county’s self-insured health insurance program and questions surrounding ambulance billing and revenue recovery.
My approach will be simple: protect essential services, ask hard questions, and look for waste, inefficiency, or missed revenue opportunities before asking taxpayers to carry more of the burden.
Bowles: When it comes to the county budget, I believe we must be as efficient as possible with every taxpayer dollar. Currently, our departments are operating well, which is why I do not see areas where cuts can be made without sacrificing the safety and quality of life our residents expect.
As the county continues to grow, essential services need to grow, specifically for the Senior Center, Ambulance Association, and the Sheriff’s Department. Our seniors built this community, and ensuring the Senior Center has the resources to provide programming and support is a high priority for me. Our Sheriff’s deputies and EMS responders are the backbone of our community’s health and safety. As call volumes increase with our population, we must ensure they have the personnel and equipment needed to maintain fast response times.
My goal is to continue managing a balanced budget that avoids unnecessary spending while making investments in the people and services that keep Franklin County safe and supportive for all generations.
What specific changes can be made in this office to increase public transparency and access to public information? How will you communicate directly with your constituents?
Dodge: I have been very clear on the issue of transparency. More county information should be available online, and county meetings should be recorded and posted so the public can watch them on their own time. Many residents cannot leave work or family responsibilities to attend a daytime meeting in person, but they still deserve access to the decisions that affect their lives.
Livestreaming is a step in the right direction, but it is not enough if meetings are not also archived for later viewing. People should be able to go back, watch a meeting, and understand what was discussed and decided.
I also believe the county website should be improved so residents can more easily find budgets, agendas, minutes, public notices, project information, and other important resources in one place. Public information should be easy to access, easy to understand, and kept current.
As for direct communication, I believe elected officials should be approachable and available. I will communicate by listening, responding respectfully, and helping people know where to find accurate information.
Bowles: Transparency is the foundation of public trust. The county adheres to the Idaho Open Meeting Laws by providing agendas and minutes, more can be done to go further to meet our residents where they are.
During my current term, we have made progress by implementing live streaming access for our Commission meetings. However, I recognize there is still room to grow. The next step would be to provide archives of these recordings. This ensures that every citizen, regardless of their work schedule or family commitments, has full access to our discussions and decisions at any time.
I believe in direct, personal communication. I will continue my ‘open-door’ approach, making myself available by phone, email, and in-person.
Can you give a concrete example of a policy or budget decision you would support to improve a county service within your first year in office?
Dodge: One concrete budget and policy decision I would support in my first year would be a careful review of how road maintenance funds are prioritized and allocated across the county. From reading budgets, meeting minutes, and public comments, it is clear that road maintenance is an important concern for many residents. People want to know that repairs and paving decisions are being made fairly, based on need, safety, and long term benefit.
My approach would be to work with the road and bridge department, review the current process, and make sure limited resources are being used as wisely and fairly as possible. I am not going into office assuming money is being mishandled, but I do believe the public deserves confidence that decisions are being made transparently and in a way that benefits the greatest number of people.
I would also support recording and archiving county meetings online. That is a practical and affordable improvement that would strengthen public trust right away.
Bowles: In my first term as Commissioner, I have focused on delivering practical results that directly impact our community’s services and resources.
I spearheaded a change to our volunteer policy for the Ambulance Association. Previously, new volunteers served a six-month probation period without pay. That is just not right. I believe that if someone is dedicated enough to dedicate their time, they deserve to be compensated from day one. I am proud to say that our trainees are now paid for their time.
I have actively supported facility upgrades for the Senior Center to ensure our aging population continues to receive services. Uneven flooring, inaccessible bathrooms, and outdated kitchen are a few things that will be taken care of. These improvements protect the center’s future as an invaluable resource for our seniors and a gathering place for the entire community.
The Rifle Range is a well-used resource and has recently seen great upgrades, we added a .22 rifle range next to the pistol range and raised the berms for additional safety. The biggest upgrade is the ability to donate. We used to only take cash, but nobody carries cash anymore, so donations have been declining. Patrons can now donate by scanning a QR code. This will allow us to continue to receive donations to help fund more upgrades.
The next step is the installation of a new vault bathroom, which should be completed next summer.
My plan for my first year of a new term is to maintain this momentum, ensuring our county services remain reliable, modern, and respectful of both our volunteers and our citizens.
What experience do you bring that prepares you to manage county finances, and how will you ensure fiscal responsibility?
Dodge: The experience I bring to county finances comes from both my professional background and my years in public service. In my career as a mortgage broker, I have spent more than 30 years working with financial documents, budgets, assets, liabilities, and long-term planning. That work has taught me how to read numbers carefully, ask the right questions, and make sound financial decisions.
During my time on the Preston City Council, fiscal responsibility has been a priority every year. We have balanced budgets, managed resources carefully, and seen the city’s reserves grow significantly over the past six years.
I have also been involved in major infrastructure planning and funding, including large public projects supported in part by millions of dollars in grant funding. I believe grants are an important part of fiscal responsibility because they help local government complete needed projects while reducing the burden on taxpayers.
To me, fiscal responsibility means being careful with taxpayer dollars, planning ahead, protecting essential services, and looking for outside funding whenever possible.
Bowles: I bring over 40 years of hands-on business experience to the Commission, including the grit and discipline required to successfully navigate two major economic recessions. Running a business
for over four decades taught me exactly how to manage tight budgets, prioritize essential spending, and prepare for the unexpected.
I am fiscally conservative by nature. To me, fiscal responsibility means treating every taxpayer dollar with the same respect and caution I applied to my own business.
I am committed to ensuring our county’s financial health by prioritizing essential needs, such as infrastructure and public safety, over non-essential wants. By applying my years of experience navigating various economic cycles, I will focus on long-term planning to keep Franklin County on solid footing even during lean years.
My approach is rooted in balanced oversight, maintaining a sharp eye on every expenditure to eliminate waste and ensure our residents receive the best possible value for their tax dollars.