CACHE COUNTY – With big changes already underway in the office of Cache County Executive, N. George Daines was sworn into that post by members of the Cache County Council at their regular meeting on Sept. 16.
Having won the nomination to replace former County Executive David Zook during a Sept. 11 special election by the Cache County Republicans, the council members unanimously approved the appointment without discussion, with council member David L. Erickson absent from the panel.
Daines is a former county attorney for Cache County, having served in that role from 2002 to 2009. In his remarks, the new county executive recalled that period as one during which he enjoyed public service, the friends he made and performing the work of the county.
“I greatly appreciate the opportunity to serve again,” he added. “I hope to do so in the best manner that I can possibly provide.”
Daines said he is already in the midst of reorganizing the executive’s office and had also accepted the resignation of Deputy Executive Dirk Anderson that afternoon.
Along with five other candidates, Anderson had opposed Daines in the Sept. 11 special election. After surviving the first round of ballot by GOP delegates, Anderson was eliminated in the second round.
“We’re in good hands with George coming in at the helm,” Anderson said graciously in his farewell remarks to the council. “This guy means business and he’s going to take care of it.”
During the abbreviated week-long campaign that preceded the special election, Daines promised to defend taxpayers from the cycle of county spending increases that has forced repeated tax hikes on Cache residents and to implement strong fiscal oversight to put county government back on stable ground.
On Aug. 26, the members of the Cache County Council voted to instruct County Treasurer Craig McAllister to publish a notice of a Truth-In-Taxation hearing for a proposed property tax increase of up to 18 percent for 2026, while voicing the hope that a tax hike that large will still not be necessary.
“We are enmeshed in the budget process,” Daines acknowledged in his first remarks to council members. “We have much to do and…we’re going to be working as hard as we can on that in the next two weeks.”
Daines had previously emphasized that Cache County government must get back to basics, including fiscal accountability, transparency and service to the people.
Daines will serve out the unexpired term of the former county executive until December of 2026, but has promised to remain in office until those goals are achieved.