Between the Red Rocks
A community podcast that shares real life stories, told by those that lived to tell them.
Between the Red Rocks
MATT COX - Republican candidate for Kane County Commissioner
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
On this episode, candidate for Kane County Commissioner, Matt Cox, joins Between the Red Rocks podcast, along with his wife Elizabeth, to discuss tourism, public lands, growth, and many more challenges facing Kane County. He also discusses his story, which started in rural Idaho, and eventually led to his family settling in Kanab.
The primary election will be held June 23, 2026.
It is now officially recording, so we've got the jitters out. Now we kind of know, and we can go back and rehash this again, right?
SPEAKER_01Okay. Did you get your um intro in?
SPEAKER_02Nothing. It didn't record anything. All right, here we go.
SPEAKER_00Nestled among the red rock plateaus and steeped in the spirit of the old west, Canab, Utah is more than just a scenic backdrop. It's a community built by true pioneers. From cowboy roots to modern-day trailblazers, this town holds stories that are as rich as the land itself. Welcome to Between the Red Rocks, voices from Canab. Real people, real stories, right here in southern Utah.
SPEAKER_02So, truth be told, I'm gonna be honest. Every once in a while you mess up doing podcasts. The good and the bad is that you can redo them again. We had been talking for 25 or 30 minutes with Matt and his wife, and I just looked to see how long it was recording, and I forgot to hit record. So full disclosure. So we had it, we had a trial run. We're gonna do this again. Now we're all prepped, all of our nerves are gone, everything is good. So, all right, here we go. I've got Matt and Elizabeth Cox with me here tonight. They're getting prepped. Uh have meet the candidate night tonight in Meat Creek. So uh we got a good we got a good prep going. So I'm gonna have them re-introduce their family to me again since they did it once. Um, so if you guys will introduce yourself, tell us where you're from and how you ended up here in Knab.
SPEAKER_01Perfect. Take it away, Elizabeth.
SPEAKER_03Oh man. Um, so hi, I'm Elizabeth. Um, we have four beautiful children. Um three girls and a little boy. And um I actually grew up in Boise, Idaho. So this is this is gonna be fun. My husband, he grew up in Cambridge, Idaho, which is population 360, so very small. Um but and yeah, we kind of ended up in Canam. Uh a little bit I want to say by coincidence, but also like his mom. Um she lived here, and but we were um we were building trails for seven years, and we we worked for the city of Scottsdale and worked all over, but we just we just decided that we needed to um settle down. Our oldest was starting school, and we just really really liked this town and it was beautiful, and you know, we have property out in Johnson, and I mean, just we love Canab.
SPEAKER_02So here's the here's the best part about doing this again. There's some details that come out the second time from the first time. So Boise, and and this I know this. I had I had a friend from Boise. It's Boise with an S, not a Z. Correct? It's not Boise, it's Boise. So you're you're from the big city. Your husband is from obviously the country, uh, ranching country, farm country.
SPEAKER_01A little bit of both, yeah. Real similar to Knab, actually. We we're up in the mountains, and so there's a little bit of farm ground and a whole lot of public land that we get uh use the permits and and ranch a lot. So my brother's a rancher, um, and he started with 13 head my junior year, senior year. And he's built that up quite a bit since then, and so still get to go back home and help him on the ranch. And and yeah, Cambridge is is very similar. The only difference is there's a river that runs through it.
SPEAKER_02It would be nice if there was a river that ran through Canab. A real river, right? Not Canab Creek, but a real river.
SPEAKER_01Yep. I grew up on Rush Creek, which is still bigger than Canab Creek, but yeah, Canab's gorgeous, and we we love the river and the canyons and everything that Canab has been.
SPEAKER_02I remember one of the first times that we we went up to Idaho was on the east side of Idaho, but we were um headed up towards Yellowstone. So you you get up there along that Snake River basin, and the the soil is just black as can be. And coming from southern Utah, I'm like, what in the world are we doing down here? Trying to grow stuff and so these guys have got it figured out. They have all the water, they have the soil. It gets a little chilly up there in the late fall in the winter time, right? But uh so you you make your way, eventually you you get here to Knab. Um, want to talk a little bit, uh Matt, about your why. I know everybody has a why of why they want to get into politics. Um, you want to briefly just talk about what your why is and and why you want to run for King County Commissioner?
SPEAKER_01Um the biggest why for me is giving back to the community. And I know there's there's supposed to be a why, um, and there is, but this community has given us so much and it's shown us welcoming, and I want to give back. I started in high school, I was in youth legislature, and we had a bill um that we presented that uh was to abolish affirmative action, and we went uh all the way through the state legislature, and we ended up number two because the the bill that wins goes to the state legislature, and the president of the state or the youth legislature felt like abolishing affirmative action. We weren't quite ready for that in 2001, and so we ended up going with the other bill, and I don't remember what that was. And then several years later, I I helped coach the JV Girls basketball team up there and and was involved in the community up there as much as I could and and running a construction company for myself then and and being a river guide. And uh a community came to me and asked me to be on the city council, and so at their request, I was happy to do that. And then when we moved down here, um I was asked to be on the planning and zoning commission, and so stepped in and started doing that. Just felt like planning and zoning is is more of giving your opinion and taking part and letting your voice be heard that way, but I felt like I wanted um my opinion to matter a little bit more, my vote to count a little bit more, and so I decided to go and uh run for county commissioner so that I had a little bit more pull with with what I felt and what I thought.
SPEAKER_02Right. What are you what do you think are some of the biggest challenges facing King County right now?
SPEAKER_01Biggest challenges, I actually love King County. I think it's pretty close to perfect, as close to Pleasantville as you can get. But I I do think that some of the growth, some of the big developers that have come in are going a little bit bigger than what our growth will allow. And healthy growth is always good. Um, but we all moved here for that rural fill and and putting 600 homes plus in in a single subdivision or or development. I don't think we're ready for that. And so I feel like trying to slow that down a little bit and then appropriate allocation of funds. Um, I believe that we have 9,000 people approximately in Kane County. Pretty close, yeah. And so I feel like we we can't spend like we're 20,000. We have to be really careful. Um, all of our tax dollars are hard earned by by locals, and and we need to be really careful with how we spend that money. Being conservative um in in our spending, and then uh trying to cut taxes as much as we can. Um obviously out east, the the fire district out there, they're getting hammered with with taxes, and then I think there's a solution to be had up on the mountain, also up to Duck Creek. They are taxed so heavily and and trying to work with them and help them, and then there's some needs that each individual community needs. Um so Duck Creek really needs bathrooms. They only have those those few commercial um businesses that all the tourists that come all flood into those. And so I feel like we can um provide bathrooms up there and and get them some resources that they may need. So I don't know how big of a problem we have or how many big challenges we we have to face, but a lot of little challenges that I think with the amount of tourism tax that we get, the TRT money, I think we can spread that out a little bit more throughout the county, just continue what the forefathers, the generations that have started King County and that have been here for so long and continue their work and what they've done. And so that's that's what I'd like to see.
SPEAKER_02How do you my my question is this King County is very diverse, right? So if you go out to Big Water, the very different than the people of Duck Creek and very different than people in Canab or different the people over in the valley. As a as a potential county commissioner, how would you work to make sure that now you're you're never gonna get everybody's needs met, right? That's just not gonna happen. But how do you see trying to bring the county together and making sure that everybody's needs are heard, maybe not met, but they're heard?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, absolutely. I think communication is the key to every relationship and every job and every everything. Um and so listening to the people out of big water, their their big concerns are with um mass and then the state and um federal land that's around them and being able to utilize that or or even not being able to be told what to do around them. Um, I know a lot of them have um issue with the solar field that was implemented or going to be implemented out there, and then it wasn't um physically feasible. And so they now have a bare field with a bunch of solar panels that are sitting out there and they're like, what's what's gonna happen with this stuff? And so just meeting those needs, and and we are a very diverse community or or county, and I feel like my background kind of fits each of those. Um, with tourism, I was a river guide for a long time with agriculture. I grew up in agriculture. My first job was moving handline for a rancher that was actually my trail boss. He's been my friend and mentor and hero since I was 10 years old, and that's when I worked for him for the first time. Construction, obviously, and my dad was a superintendent of schools, and so pretty much touched. And um growing up, there were times when my dad was in between superintendent jobs, and so like my mom raised a one-acre garden to make sure that we had food, and so going from having uh superintendent's um budget to having no budget and just seeing how all that works and going out and helping the family and working and and just providing for my family and and doing whatever we can, but ultimately just give back to the community and to my family and and the families that live here, right? So trying to give back.
SPEAKER_02Obviously, tour tourism is a huge thing here in Kane County, right? I mean, it's a it's a big deal. Um, I think COVID really lit things on fire in a lot of places. You know, people knew about Canab, I knew about Canab, but it was like during that time where all you could do was get outdoors, people got outdoors and they people found places like Canab and they're like, wow, this place is awesome, you know. And so it really took off being close to to Zions and everything else that's here, like Powell, you know, all the other stuff, the Grand Canyon. Well, that being said, you found out how fragile it is last year when the North Rim burns up, right? Absolutely. And things dramatically change. And and one of the one of the worries has always been lack of industry here in Kane County. So talk for a minute about what what your vision would be for industry here. What do you think we could do here? And as as a commissioner, what would you really like to do if you had one wish? How would you change that?
SPEAKER_01I want to see maybe less change in Kane County, but um I would like to see more tech schools, more commercial businesses um supporting the industry that is here and making sure that we're advertising with that TRT money to people. Like you said, when COVID came, we saw a mass amount of people come and start visiting, and that's obviously from local areas like Western United States and advertising more using that TRT money and that advertisement part of the TRT money to advertise in the Western United States and try and get those people coming back and keeping it in the nation. And I think with everything going on in the world right now, I think we need that more than than anything. And I know that we're regulated a little bit in our TRT money and having to advertise across overseas and different areas, but I think there's so many people that want to see Canab um and we want to show them what we want them to see, not necessarily all of it, are all our little hidden secrets. And so ensuring that the tourism companies are getting the the people that they need and and that will continue to help us financially, but then letting them go home is perfect.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it tour tourism is this uh I don't know, it's this it's Jekyll and Hyde thing, right? It it's so good when it's good. You look at the, you know, KNAB really just thrives on tourism. Without tourism right now, it's it's it's it's a different game, right? Especially on a year where we don't have a lot of water. Ags kind of like uh, you know, it's a little bit nervousness here. Lake Powell's got some issues with water, and so there's some concern. And that's my biggest thing, is is that we're looking down the road. Obviously, sustained growth is always good. You know, if you're not growing, you're kind of dying in these little towns. You have to, you have to maintain that. Um, but I think you've seen, and you mentioned this, when you try to grow too fast, different things happen. And I think there's there's some areas here in town where they tried that and they've I think naturally just kind of stopped, right?
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_02From a construction side. And so I think naturally some of that takes place. Um, hopefully, you know, other things keep keep the city maintained a little bit and keep the the local feel. I want to talk a little bit about federal and state lands. I believe there's like 80% of Kane County is either federal or state lands. How do you how do you plan on working with state and federal agencies to help work together because they're there's such this fine relationship that happens there?
SPEAKER_01Absolutely. Cultivating good relationships and and open communication, um, working with the state and federal government as much as we can. Um, but then also when making sure that our voice is heard. Um, I love our public lands. I I love we go out just about every weekend with the kids and with other families um in the area and just explore and have fun. And so, and then the the agriculture part of it, that grazing that happens throughout all of it. I wouldn't want any of it to, which we've had our problems in, but any of it to be lost. I don't think agriculturists in the area can afford to lose any acreage, any of the grand staircase. Like we need to make sure to keep that open. So cultivating those relationships on the federal and state level and and making sure that they know what we need and what we expect, um, and then working with them on what they need and what they expect. So there's always give and take. I feel like in in government, like government is here for us. We're not there for the government. I mean, we would we are, we pay our taxes and we do um what we need to do, and we're all happy to do that, to to live in this beautiful country and to have all the opportunity that we're provided. But I think that the state and federal government need to take into account what um the people in the area want. And and we have boots on the ground, like we know what's gonna work here. The the families that have been here for generations, like they they need to be heard, and I want to be their voice.
SPEAKER_02How do we I mean, this this is kind of a rhetorical question? How do we make sure that we keep agriculture and ranching going in King County?
SPEAKER_01Is that rhetorical? No, yeah, I don't know.
SPEAKER_02I mean, that's that's a I mean that's a real question, but it's like, you know, how do I I know it's kind of this big, big question, like how how do we do that? I mean, in all seriousness, how do you make sure you maintain those ag and ranching roots? And it's not just here in Canab, you go up to the valley, you know, go all over. That's that's really what it was based on, right? It's it's that western cowboy feel, you know, growing your crops and cattle and all those those things, kind of the you know, the the the western way. But how do we how do we keep that and then still maintain a sense of growth and progress?
SPEAKER_01Right. So there's there's plenty of room um without touching our public land. And then I go back to like we were commanded to multiply and replenish the earth. And so obviously we need growth and we're gonna grow. Um, we have families that are moving in. Our family is growing, our our girls are are growing up, and I'd love for opportunity to be here for them. But to take away anything from our public lands, I don't think would be appropriate. And I think there's plenty of private that we can grow as much as we need to. And I know that our Father in Heaven will will make sure that that there's opportunity there, and we're we're constantly growing and progressing and learning and become being able to do more with less as far as land goes, like and and irrigation pivots coming in and conserving water that way versus flood irrigation. And I don't know if that's ever been an option in Kane County, but in Idaho, we did a lot of flood irrigation. It's interesting.
SPEAKER_02We we've had a lot of conversations. I grew up on a my dad had a little, I'm gonna call it a hobby farm at the time. We had 80 acres, and then eventually he sold some because it was worth a whole lot more selling it than it was to keep farming it. And eventually we kind of shrunk it all down and he passed. My mom sold the rest. Um but part of that was a decision based on water, right? And so there it's a it's a finite resource that we don't always know what we have. So how do how do we balance that? Because I know even here in the state of Utah, there's that there's a constant discussion between where should our water go? Does it go to these big tech facilities that they're building that they want to use a whole bunch of water? I think up north, maybe in Davis County, there's a bunch of discussions. I'm sure eventually at some point there's gonna be some discussions everywhere else. What are your thoughts on that?
SPEAKER_03I'm like, I really want to chime in on this.
SPEAKER_01Let's hear it.
SPEAKER_03Um, so I was actually on the women's chair for the farm bureau, learned a ton. And honestly, like if you go to one farm bureau, meaning this is an advertisement. This is just if you want to join, join. It's incredible how much like I learned just coming from a city and not, I mean, I had a I had a little rat dog as a pet, and then I moved here, and you know, we had 10 acres and chickens and cows, and I had to learn all about these animals. So someone like City Living into like, yeah, having 20 chickens now, like it's pretty incredible. But honestly, like these farmers and ranchers, like just going to one meeting and just listening to them and just understanding like their their needs and their wants, and you know, a big thing is water and like water catchments and like you know, where you know, and water rights and different things, and like it's it's amazing from not just like this Arcane County perspective, but from these these guys' perspective of like what should happen and what really is important to them.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I mean, water water is and always will be a hot topic, right? We we're paramount.
SPEAKER_01We we have to have water, and so like you mentioned these data centers, and they actually already did. The state asked every county to to look at a data center, and so I did some research and and found out how much power it takes and how much water it takes. So one AI image is three gallons of water. We don't have water for a data center. There's there's not enough water right now in the world to to be pushing that for our own entertainment. I don't I don't think three gallons of water is worth one AI image. And so in planning and zoning, we shut that down. We said, absolutely not, that is not something that we can afford to lose in Kane County. We need those that water, and that's not even taking into the power that it takes, which is also hydro and ran with water in Kane County. And so it's it's not feasible and it doesn't create a lot of jobs. The construction part of it um is is good for the economy for two or three years while they're building it. And then those those data centers run off of like two employees. So it's not not an affordable or feasible um option for us to bring into the county until we we told the state. Absolutely not. That's not a viable option for us. Um, some of the ones that are viable, like the tech center or the tech schools, the cosmetology cosmogeneos. Cosmetology school across the street is doing very well, and it's awesome to be able to allow youth to get an education and and start a career there. Um, we brought welding or mechanicking into the school. Um, and I'd like to see more of that. I think like uh lineman school would be really good. I've talked to the managers at Sherwin Williams and and bringing in a paint store that would allow allow them to reach a little bit further or or not as far. They have a store in um Hurricane right now, but they serviced all the way out to Page with that Hurricane store. So more commercial, um, which would bring in more taxes and allow more jobs and create opportunity for families to stay here.
SPEAKER_02Nice. Yeah. Going going back to the water thing, I've I've always so growing up on a farm, my my grandfather was a farmer. Once you're once you're around that, you realize that these farmers are great stewards of what they have, right? They know they had limited resources. My goodness, they they're really out in the desert out here, especially in southern Utah. You think about it's beautiful here now, but I'm sure when they very first came here, there's nothing but but sand and red rocks here, right? And so they they've made a way to make it work and you and use the soil and water for what they need to, obviously, but it's a it's a critical, critical resource that we have. Maybe I want to ask your wife this just a second. I'm gonna put her on the spot.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_02What do you think? As you have four kids growing up here in Kane County, what do you see as some of the things or some of the challenges that you will face going forward that you hope that your husband as a county commissioner can help address? I know it's kind of a different perspective, but I'm I'm interested in your thought. I'll put you on the spot.
SPEAKER_03Right. Well, so I actually work at Canab Middle School and I love it. It's such a delight. Like your kids are amazing. But just seeing, like even just like dealing with some of like uh, you know, we do get emails from like the district and saying that, you know, like our like our count is down, like kids are wanting to do more homeschooling. And but these teachers are amazing, and you know, just working with them, and I think they are incredible people. And you know, and I'm it's it's interesting because I am a full supporter of I'm like, man, you you know you studied this, you know, so you know better than I do. Um, I know you could probably teach my kids incredible things and you know, help them go far. And so I think, you know, just from like an educational standpoint, I want to see that, you know, that you know, there is good education, you know, as you were saying, like getting good tech schools in here and just making it more like you know, viable options for some of these students that are choosing to like just do homeschooling or different things because maybe they are just wanting to do do like a tech school and you know, just talking to some of my students, like that is the direction they really do want to go in. You know, he uh and I think too, um I I I'm probably you know, I'm probably gonna get I tell my kids all the time, um, I'm all like you can leave this town because I grew up in a city, like you can leave this town and you know, go experience life or in the world or whatever you need to do, but get your education and come back. Like I I love this town and I think it's amazing, and I do think that there is so many different opportunities and and just you know, I really do believe as well if if you're willing to work, especially here, you know, you're willing to work and you have a good mindset, like you can find like anything and you can do anything. And you know, I love that, you know, we have two dentist offices, like, you know, and we have, you know, I it's just things that I would never coming from like his small town and kind of you know, just knowing where he grew up and different things, like it was it was crazy when like their biggest like thing, you know, was like the bank. Like there's no banks in Cambridge anymore. And like it's pretty bizarre, like just some of these uh smaller towns, like you know, there's plenty of people that are still there, but it's slowly dying. And and yeah, and I do think there is just so many different opportunities for these kids to like yeah, get an education and bring something back to this community, raise your families here, and so that's that's what I that's what I'm saying.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I one thing I I would go with this, and and and I will I will stand firm and die on this hill, is that that small rural communities, the heartbeat are the communities that are the schools. Without the schools, they die. That's that's just how it is. And and Canab has such a rich tradition with with all of their schools, so good, but that is the the lifeblood, and you see that on on Friday nights at the football games or wherever whatever activities are going on. Um it's not all just athletics, but all the stuff that it revolves around the schools. And if those kind of wither away, the lifeblood of towns disappear, and then your identity disappears, and you just become some tourist town somewhere. And and you see this in places like, you know, I see it in places like Moab, um Grand County. When I was in high school, their athletics and everything, they were so good at everything and competitive. And over time, it's changed. And you can see that constantly changing, and and hopefully we never get to that point, but it does happen if if certain things like tourism, especially in in Moab, it's a different level over there too. But if if we don't pay attention to our kids and to the schools, then eventually you just become a destination. And it's again, that's where your identity changes. So I want to ask you, and this is just again kind of puts you on the spot, Matt, here. Why why should somebody vote for you as county commissioner? This is kind of like the chance in your job interview is like, why should I hire you? Yes. But but in uh in a in a serious, personal, authentic, why why should people vote for Matt Cox?
SPEAKER_01Right. This is this is a fun question. I'm not a politician, I think is the the number one reason I'm family oriented. That's 70% of of Kane County is our families, and we want that those principles. I was raised in a small town raised on Louis Lemoore's and John Wayne's, which I think fit the principles in the background of our county. And and I want my kids have opportunity to live here and be here and work here. Like like Elizabeth said, work makes more work, and I want to raise kids that want to work and have that work ethic and those principles that I learned as a youth and as as this community, this this county has.
SPEAKER_02Isn't it it's interesting how the conversation like is completely different? It is. Yeah. We had a completely different conversation the first time.
SPEAKER_01It would have been cool if it was recorded. Yeah. No, just joking, Andy. It's all been it's been really fun. But just got done with Charlie Kirk's book. Lost my train of thought on that. Why should people vote for me?
SPEAKER_02So as you as you get into this, assuming let's say, let's say you get the nod and you get the vote uh as a new county commissioner, how do you maintain those those thoughts that you have right now of keeping you know keeping things simple? You know, if I'm if I can use the in quotes not being a politician, how do you how would you maintain that? Because now you're in the thick of things, right? When you're on the outside, it's like, oh yeah, I I I don't have to worry about that. But then all of a sudden, you're in it. How how do you or or what what's your goal to maintain your authentic nature that you want to have?
SPEAKER_01Right. And that's been that's been prevalent in as I've camp campaigned and on uh planning and zoning and and thinking, uh worrying if I'm gonna lose votes by by what I say or what I do, and just realizing that if I get elected, it's it's because people believe in what I'm voting for and what I'm doing. And so staying true to what I believe and who I am and not saying things or doing things just for a vote. I I believe that people will see that and appreciate that and want to vote for me because I am genuine and I am gonna do what I believe in and stand by my principles and and not waver on on what I believe or or what other people may worry about isn't isn't going to be a determining factor in in what I believe. And so I'll stay true to my values and my principles and the principles that I feel this county was founded on and follow through with those things.
SPEAKER_02How do you how do you plan on balancing your time? I'm looking at your wife, between being a husband and a father and a business owner and everything else that you have in life and hopefully being a county commissioner. How do you, and you know, honestly, because life is busy. We we are all so busy. What's what's your plan to balance your time? Because you're gonna be polled in a lot of different ways.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely. So one of the biggest things that we've started when I decided to run and and knowing how much I have to work in my company um was to sell my company. And so my foreman is is in the process of buying. He's taking over the contracts, he's taking over the employees and the payroll, and he's making payments to me right now. Um, so offloading that is huge. I mean, that's 16 hours a day. And so offloading that, um, I have a partner in another company, and we're just doing like spec homes or modulars, which take a lot a lot less time, a lot less subs, no employees. And so just doing one or two of those a year and supplementing the the loss and income from from being county commissioner. And that's that's it should be a service. Politics are are set up to do service, go in and then go back and start paying into taxes. Whereas when you're county commissioner, you're you're taking away from taxes and people are the people are paying paying you to do the best that you can. And so get in, do the best you can, and then get back out, let somebody else do it and and start paying into taxes again. Not being a career politician, I think is massive.
SPEAKER_03And I feel like he manages time his time very well. Like I he's probably one of the busiest people I know, but he always has time. And um that's always been like such a blessing because he's been at every kid's event, every practice, like every like every little thing. Like there's never been a time where you know, family was never like an you know an option. Like it was always this is it. Like, you know, we're there for our kids, we're there for everything. And you know, I think he's just done such an incredible job. And anybody could probably attest that, you know, our kids, they will do exactly what we're doing. Like we've never been the type of family to just be like, oh, that's daddy's job. Like, you know, it's like, no, we help. Our kids, they help paint, they come, and you know, when we were doing trails, they were building trails, like they were doing it all. And I mean, we always joke because yeah, I would we would just feed our kids. Sometimes they would just take naps on the trails, and you know, our like it's like, you know, as long as food is involved, our kids are pretty darn good.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I think there's some you know, learning to learning to work is a lost art, I think.
SPEAKER_01It's not not just our kids. Elizabeth was nine, eight months pregnant, eight, nine months pregnant, out on the trail, raking and working. And when she was tired, she'd lay down and take a nap and get back up and keep going. Then get back up and go back to work.
SPEAKER_02There's one thing I found too, if I I and I I stand by this as well. If you want to, if you want to get something done, find somebody who's really busy in life because they've figured out how to manage their time. Oh, yeah. Um I I know that sounds like an oxymoron, but you you look at people who are really busy and they and they're successful as they've learned how to manage things in their life and put priorities in the right way. That's the other thing that I've learned too. If if you get your priorities straight and you do what you're supposed to, from a religious standpoint, right, I I I believe this. You do what you're supposed to. Time somehow magnifies itself. I know it seems odd, but it does. And so even though you're busy, you have time to do the things you need to. So I was just curious, it's interesting about you're selling your business because life has a way of of being busy. And when things bump up against each other, sometimes you have to put things in a in priority, right? Absolutely. And you and you have to be able to provide for your family. And so it sounds like you you've already started going going down that route to say, okay, if I've got to have this time, here's what I have to do, because there is so many hours in the day. Like we can't magnify that. It would be nice if we could, but you've already started looking at that down the road. I know I know we've been this is the second time. We did 30 minutes the first time. We're just about 45 minutes, so we'll wrap it up because I know you guys need to get on the road. What do you see Kane County looking like five years from now? What is your vision for Kane County in five years?
SPEAKER_01I hope it looks really similar. We absolutely love it. Like, if anything, maybe a little less change. I know like we we live up Johnson Canyon, and since we've been there in seven years, there's probably 20 more houses up there, which is is great. Like the only way to stop growth is if you buy it and and use it for yourself, which we actually did try to do with 80 acres below us, but my investor backed out. And if he wouldn't have, we'd be millionaires now. But probably that's that's probably not in try not entirely true because I would have sold, split off 10 acre parcels and sold three built houses and sold three of them and paid the investor off, and then we would have kept the other 60, so it actually would have cut back. But I understand that he didn't didn't want to jump into that. He was down in Phoenix and and didn't see the vision of Canab at that time. So I think it'll continue to grow. It's a beautiful area. Um, and I hope that it grows enough that our kids have a place to to move and be here. But ultimately, like we we moved here because we love it. And I don't know how much change we want to see. Like change is inevitable, inevitable, and seeing the writing on the wall and seeing how we can make that work with our vision and with the master plan of Kane County, but but keep the feel and keep the family at the the center of it. Cause I think like you said, that's that's everything. If you don't have the kids and and the family orientation, you turn into like Springdale and and Moab, and those are beautiful places to visit, but not necessarily where families can afford to be or or want to be. And so keeping just the family at the center of the county and and letting growth take its place through our children and and with the people that have the same vision as we do. And I think if we make that prevalent and known, then people want to move here for that reason.
SPEAKER_03Awesome. Um I was just gonna chime in a little bit and be like, my one qualm is make Western legends Western legends again.
SPEAKER_02I don't know if you were you were here we because you said you I've actually I was actually in a meeting the other day where where somebody said Western legends is dead. And that we weren't here when it was at the height of what it is. Sounds like you know, there's certain things that have a timeline, and it sounds like that may have had a timeline or something's happened where it's just it was just awesome when we first moved here.
SPEAKER_03Like it was just something like a sight to see, like having all the longhorns run down the road. And like I'm like, they don't do that anymore. Like in that in those, like in the family that did that. I mean, they live a mile down the road from us, and you know, it's kind of like that's what King County, like this this was a huge thing, Western and talking about our town and the history and different things, and you know, now it's yeah, it is, it's kind of sad.
SPEAKER_02And I I've I've found this out too. That those things are hard to keep going, right? That they yeah, they take time, they take money, but more importantly, it takes a why and a passion. And it seems like over time those people either lose passion or they pass away or something happens and and it changes. So my my hope is that King County stays as much as it can with a lot of these things, you know, with because that was such a a part of it, you know, the Western legends, the little Hollywood, all that here is that that stuff keeps going, people keep sharing those stories. Uh, but as we move forward, too, that we we progress and we innovate, but we still maintain who we are in Kane County, right?
SPEAKER_01Absolutely, yep. And figuring out what that is and and what that looks like. None of us have a crystal ball and and can see the future and know what it is. But I really think if we keep the family at the center of it and and ensure that our kids have a place to be and and we're providing and we're keeping that as the focus, I I know it will grow and become better in in whatever direction that is. Keeping government use yeah, maybe a little bit, but but utilizing it for what it's what it's meant for and how it was originally meant. I've I've been over the T tax a little bit, three cents. And and we we went to war over that three cents, which equivalents to a dollar eighteen now. I think we're tech taxed so heavily. Um, and I think a lot of that is is career politicians and and people that are taking out of the tax base and not ever putting back into it. So mitigating that a little bit and then being self-reliant, like we learned so much about being self-reliant and then getting in and doing it yourself and and everybody, the community coming together, like the barn raisings they used to have. Like um, the church, I'm sure we know was built by the people that lived here. There wasn't any government funding for that church, and I'm not saying that we we should do that. Like we've we've moved on, and I believe in capitalism and allowing people to use their time to make money, and then with that, especially in the private sector, they're paying into taxes, and so we can use those taxes wisely, but just being conservative in our spending and making sure that we're making that money go as far as it possibly can and not dumping it all into one thing or or saying, Oh, that's good enough. And then we mentioned Sheriff Glover and and the grants that he's written and been able to not use as much of the tax base by by writing those grants, which is also money that comes from taxes or the government printing more money, but just just being conservative with the money that we do have and being careful and and running it like a business, like I've done since I was I've I've started my own business when I was 22. And so having 20 years of experience in in managing a budget and my own money that's coming out of my account and coming into my account, and every dollar, every penny matters, and making sure that we're using that tax money wisely.
SPEAKER_02Awesome, awesome. Well, I appreciate you guys coming down here and doing two interviews today. Yes, I'll joke about that forever. It it it is interesting how our discussion for the first 30 minutes and starting over went very different. We talked about some of the similar things, but very different things, and I think it kind of changed a little bit of the dynamic there. Uh, final thoughts. I know we need to wrap up and get you guys on the road. I'll start with your wife, Elizabeth.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Final thoughts. Any any final thoughts that you have? She's thinking.
SPEAKER_03I know. I'm like, geez. I'd like to see like everything that he's kind of hit on, like really just proper growth and proper change. I'm just gonna say proper, you know, because I really do believe that we can make King County great. I know my husband can do amazing and incredible things. And you know, I I mean, I don't think there's a shortage in this town of people. I mean, you go on Canab Classified, so there is not a shortage of people talking about what they want changed and what you know what people want and need. I think people are very vocal here, and so I think yeah, being the listening ear I think is honestly so important. You know, yeah, we can't change everything, we can't be the yes man in this community, but we can help. And I think that's that's truly important.
SPEAKER_02Thank you. Final words, Matt. You got it.
SPEAKER_01Last words, huh? I think we've been through it. I really appreciate you, Andy, and letting us letting us be here and inviting us. It's been incredible and fun to be on my first podcast, so we'll see how it comes out. That'll be fun to listen when you get it out there. Yeah, family is the most important thing. We have our Heavenly Father and then family and then community. And so I I love this county and I love how welcomed we've been. I didn't share that story. So um there's a term local. I'm sure you've heard it since you've been here and and don't know if you're accepted yet. But if you're a local or a move-in. Yes.
SPEAKER_02I'm I am from a small town, yes.
SPEAKER_01I I know full well about that, yeah. So um I got called to be in the young men's in church, and we were up to the creek one day, and I we'd only been here for like two years, and the leaders were were talking about what it meant to be a local or how long you had to be here to be considered a local, and I'm staying out of it because I've only been here for a couple of years, and we have the same feeling in our hometown. Um, and so I'm like, I'm gonna just stay out of this one. And so they were talking about it, and they're like, Well, I think four generations, and then you're a local. And another guy was like, Yeah, maybe like 20 years, and then Quincy Robinson and and the Robinsons have been here since the beginning. I don't know how many generations, probably seven, eight, or nine. Um, Quincy Robinson um said, I think there's two things that make a local. And he said, It's either longevity or character. And he looked at me and he said, Matt Cox is a local. And so he said he has the character that fits our community or our county, and and he considered me to be the local. So that was an awesome opportunity and good feeling. So I would just leave with that. I I feel like I have the character to be a county commissioner, and I'd I'd love to serve this community or continue to serve the comp this community, and I will in whatever facet that looks like, whether it's staying on um planning and zoning commissioner or or coaching the kids basketball or whatever it takes. I'm just happy to serve and grateful to be a part of this amazing community.
SPEAKER_02Love it. Best way to end right there. Well, we appreciate uh you two, Matt and Elizabeth Cox joining me this afternoon and wish you the best of luck. Safe travels up to Duck Creek. You won't have any snow going that way. Um, but we appreciate you seriously very, very much. Wish you the best of luck, you and your family, and uh look forward to many good years here in Kane County.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely. Thanks, Andy.
SPEAKER_00Thanks for listening to Between the Red Rocks, where we believe that behind every voice is a story worth sharing. If you enjoyed today's episode, follow the show on any of our social media channels, leave a review, and share it with a friend. Until next time, listen a little closer. You'll never know what story you'll hear next. Yaw.
