She’s one of only a few Democrats to break through in both statewide and countywide elections, and after this latest election in 2022, she is serving on the Salt Lake County Council as an at-large member, a representative of the whole of Salt Lake County. 

How did Councilmember Suzanne Harrison do it? “I see myself not so much as belonging to a party, but as a mom and a doctor, and one who cares about her community,” Harrison said. “That resonates across party lines, I think.” 

Prior to serving on the county council, Harrison served four years in state legislature, but decided she wanted to serve at the county level at the next election, because she wanted to focus on issues “closer to home,” issues she saw affecting the day-to-day for her neighbors, her family, and other families in her community. “I wanted to help create the future, the kind of life we all want for ourselves and our kids: fun trails, clean air, affordable housing.” 

Harrison is a roots-deep Utah girl and loves her state. She grew up in Provo where her parents spent their careers working at BYU. She went to Timpview High School and then attended Stanford University for her undergraduate degree where she met her husband, John, who was raised in Centerville, Utah. She earned her medical degree at the University of Utah and completed her residency in anesthesiology and critical care at Harvard University.  

She made it back home to Utah to raise a family, living in Draper with her husband and her three children, ages 15, 18 and 20 (two high schoolers and one Utah State Aggie). 

Currently, Harrison splits her workweek serving part time as a physician and an anesthesiologist (at Riverton and Alta View hospitals), and part time as a county councilmember. Her hours per week on the council are variable, depending on the issues on the county agenda, but she always makes time to get out into the community. 

In talking to people, she realized many don’t know about what their county government does and how it helps. One way she hopes to remedy this situation, and to connect, is through her Tip of the Week found on her Facebook page www.facebook.com/votesuz, where she highlights county programs that add to quality of life for all, programs ranging from Petapalooza (a pet adoption day at Salt Lake County Animal Services), to the opening day of a new trail system (Butterfield Regional), to opportunities to provide feedback regarding transit planning (UTA long-range transit plan). 

Her Facebook feed is an informative highlight reel of Salt Lake County programs and opportunities. 

She calls attention to services that are less visible, but vitally important. Things like tax relief, home repair, and assistance programs which are available annually to individuals who qualify. Many don’t know these benefits exist and Harrison is trying to get the word out on social media and by sponsoring an appropriation to send a flyer to every property owner and renter in the county. 

Additionally, she’s excited to spotlight things like Meals on Wheels, a service that provides over 2,000 daily meals to homebound seniors, available through Salt Lake County Aging Services. Or that Salt Lake County recently secured a 2.7-million dollar grant to help youth who age out of foster care and who often have no safety net or home. Or a pilot program with the County Library System, for a one cent late fee for children’s materials over the summer, to encourage families to check out books and to “reduce barriers to reading.”

Harrison considers her political connections within the state legislature an asset, as county, state and city entities often work together, especially on complex and regionwide problems. Collaborative effort is the key to tackling difficult challenges, and Harrison aims for “engaged civic dialogue from the ground up, through all levels of government.”

As of 2021, there were 1.2 million residents in Salt Lake County, and Councilmember Harrison is an at-large member, representing the entire county. The county council is a nine-member body, three members elected at-large and serving six-year terms, and six members representing constituents in a specific voting district and who serve four-year terms. For more details regarding Salt Lake County programs offered and services provided, visit the county website at www.slco.org.

As much as Harrison encourages county residents to understand what existing services the county provides, and to take advantage of them, she also wants to listen. She loves to meet with different constituents and groups, to learn what they want from local government, and make sure county government is adapting to meet their needs. Email her at [email protected] or see what she’s up to and connect on Facebook, Instagram or X (Twitter). λ