Local businessman Marc K. Ensign is one of four candidates vying to replace Craig Buttars as Cache County executive in a GOP special election on Saturday.
CACHE COUNTY – Local businessman Marc K. Ensign believes that the voices of Cache County residents should matter most in the process of decision-making by the county government.
“I will listen to you,” the county executive candidate promised in a statement to fellow Republicans. “Then I will use my experience and best efforts to get it done.”
Ensign is one of four candidates in the running for the now-vacant county executive position. His rivals in the GOP special election slated for Saturday are David Zook, the city manager of Nibley; transportation executive Ladd Kennington; and Cache County councilman David Erickson.
“Cache Valley is facing challenges related to growth that are unprecedented in our history,” Ensign emphasized. “We cannot stop change, but we can proactively respond by getting ahead of it and carefully orchestrating the future to achieve the result we desire. This type of strategic management has been my life’s work.”
Ensign is a graduate of Brigham Young University and a resident of Paradise. The former owner of Ensign Toyota-Honda in Logan now has other business interests in Cache Valley, including Jack’s Wood Fired Oven on Main Street in Logan.
In 2020, Ensign campaigned to fill the South District seat on the Cache County Council that was being vacated by Jon White. Ensign’s candidacy for the county council seat was supported by state Rep. Casey Snider and county council chairman Karl Ward. He won a plurality of votes from local Republican Party members during their April 2020 nominating convention, but was bested by Nolan Gunnell of Wellsville in balloting during the statewide GOP primary on June 30.
In his bid for the county executive position, Ensign now lists his priority issues as local growth, economic development, increased employment opportunities and property tax relief.
With encouragement he has received from business, government and community leaders, Ensign said that he can help Cache County “move ahead in a new and productive way” as county executive.
Ensign believes that Cache County is facing numerous challenges, including lack of adequate housing; low income levels; aging roads; decaying infrastructure; increasing demands on water, land and other natural resources; and, the growing needs of a diverse population.
“If you choose me,” Ensign said to follow Republicans, “I’ll use my years of executive and business to address these challenges and more.”
The upcoming special election will take place during a GOP County Central Committee meeting Saturday at the Cache County Events Center, with usual coronavirus precautions in effect.
Although that gathering is a public meeting, party chair Chris Booth recommends that only members of the central committee and county delegates attend due to the coronavirus.
“We will be streaming the meeting live on our Facebook page for the general public.”
Under state law, local GOP leaders will select a nominee to serve out the remainder of Buttars’ unexpired term as county executive and forward that name to the Cache County Council for approval.