Campaign Phone
435-850-7278
Current Employment
Owner/Pharmacist: Birch Family Pharmacy
Education
Doctor of Pharmacy, University of Washington 2003
Campaign Website
www.VoteSheldonBirch.com
Utah needs more housing supply, but we need to find solutions that avoid heavy-handed state mandates that override local communities.
To that end I would support:
• Local zoning reform that encourages ways to increase supply.
• Faster permitting and less red tape – if a builder meets requirements set forward by local communities they shouldn’t be required to wait months and months.
• More infrastructure investment, because many rural and fast-growing communities cannot absorb new housing without roads, water, sewer, and public safety capacity.
• Protecting private property rights so landowners can reasonably develop their property.
I absolutely do not support unchecked growth or top-down density mandates.
Water is an economic and a stewardship issue.
Agriculture is foundational to Utah’s rural economy and food supply, so it should not be unfairly blamed or punished. At the same time, I support conservation tools, better measurement, infrastructure improvements, and voluntary agreements.
Data centers and industrial projects should be evaluated based on their actual water use, economic value, infrastructure needs, and long-term sustainability. Importantly, local decision-makers should be given enough time to truly consider the impact of data centers in their community. The data center being considered in Box Elder County has lost public trust because the process for informing and engaging the community has been poor.
We need a predictable, transparent, rules-based process for these types of facilities.
We need to consider factors like:
• Economic impact and job creation
• Water, power, transportation, and infrastructure demands
• Environmental impacts
• Local input from the affected community.
We should prioritize public trust so that decisions are not based on billionaires or outside activism, sudden political pressure, or inconsistent standards.
Utah has been ranked as the best managed state in the country by many media outlets for a long time. Our enviable quality of life has made growth inevitable. That said, our growth must be managed responsibly, or we risk losing so many of the factors that make Utah an amazing place to live.
This starts with supporting local decision-making while having realistic conversations about our strains in areas like housing and water. Community input matters, and should always be a part of the conversation.
I support tax cuts.
Put simply, Utah should live within its means, fund core responsibilities, and return excess revenue to taxpayers when ongoing revenues exceed ongoing needs.
I believe in prioritizing:
• Education
• Roads and infrastructure
• Public safety
• Water infrastructure
• Our rainy-day fund
The conservative test for future tax cuts would be whether they are based on ongoing revenue, not temporary surpluses, and whether essential services remain funded.
Campaign Phone
435-850-2548
Education
MBA Graduate Student
True housing affordability comes from increasing supply by cutting red tape, not government subsidies. To lower building costs in Utah's growing and rural communities, we must:
Slash Regulatory Barriers: Streamline local permitting and reduce excessive impact fees that artificially drive up the cost of single-family homes.
Support Free-Market Infrastructure: Use targeted grants with strict accountability to help rural towns build the roads, water, and sewer lines needed so private builders can do what they do best.
Defend Property Rights: Oppose heavy-handed state mandates while encouraging local governments to voluntarily update outdated codes for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) where it makes economic sense.
Water management requires market-driven conservation and protecting private property rights, not government rationing.
Protect Agricultural Rights: Safeguard constitutional water rights while incentivizing farmers to adopt optimized practices, like canal piping and drip irrigation, via voluntary state grants.
Hold Industry Accountable: Ensure data centers and industrial facilities pay their fair share by requiring advanced water-recycling (like closed-loop cooling) and tiered utility rates that reflect their infrastructure burden.
Invest in Infrastructure: Rather than managing scarcity, Utah must proactively fund storage, aquifer recharge, and modern infrastructure to maximize the water we already have.
Utah must evaluate large-scale industrial and energy projects on a strict, case-by-case basis to ensure they benefit our communities without draining resources.
Mandate Advanced Tech: We must require developers to utilize state-of-the-art technology—such as closed-loop water recycling, AI-driven grid optimization, and advanced emissions controls—to minimize their environmental footprint.
Guaranteed Community Return: Before approval, projects must prove what they will give back. We will prioritize facilities that directly fund local infrastructure, paving roads, expanding utility lines, and boosting tax revenues for community schools.
No Resource Overload: If a project compromises our power grid or local water supply, it doesn't get built.
The principle of subsidiarity—government closest to the people—must be fiercely defended against heavy-handed growth mandates.
Defend Local Control: Municipalities and county commissions know their communities best. The state must resist sweeping, top-down zoning overrides and let local leaders manage their own backyards.
Empower, Don't Command: The state’s role is to provide tools and best practices, allowing rural and growing areas to plan for expansion collaboratively and on their own terms.
Protect Neighborhood Integrity: Community input must remain a respected part of the process. Growth should expand economic opportunity without destroying the safety, character, and property values of established neighborhoods.
Government has no money of its own; it only has the taxpayers' money. Families are the best stewards of their wealth, and balancing the budget requires strict fiscal discipline.
Families First: We must always look to return surplus revenues to hardworking Utahns through income and sales tax cuts to combat the compounding effects of inflation.
Fund Essentials Through Growth: Funding for infrastructure, public safety, and education must be secured by expanding our economic pie—not by raising tax rates. A low-regulation economy naturally generates the revenue needed for critical services.
Sustainable Cuts: Future tax cuts must be tied to rigorous economic forecasting and strict spending caps, ensuring we never rely on temporary federal windfal
