Rachel Freeman, a nurse practitioner and candidate for Lehi City Council, said she is running to bring “a strong voice for citizens on the council” and to scrutinize how Lehi approves development, funds capital projects and prioritizes pedestrian safety.

Freeman, a Lehi resident for nine years and a volunteer active in schools and local clinics, told the Utah County Republican Party podcast that a series of local issues — including a nearby mink farm, high‑density housing proposals, school crossing safety and perceived deals at Traverse Mountain — convinced her to file for office late in the filing period.

“Those things just added up,” Freeman said. “I think that we really need to have a strong voice for citizens on the council.” She described her professional background as a nurse practitioner with more than 20 years in health care and said that listening to residents is a skill she brings from her clinical work.

On growth and development, Freeman said Lehi has been favorable to developers and that the city should weigh the tradeoffs between new housing density and impacts on traffic, schools and utility systems. She questioned whether much of recent residential construction produces truly affordable housing, citing an anecdote about a $3,000 monthly apartment near Primary Children’s Hospital to illustrate local rents.

Freeman argued the city should prioritize commercial development that generates sales tax revenue rather than routinely using taxpayer incentives for projects that will produce private profit. She cited two examples discussed in recent council meetings: Perry Homes, which she said received about $8 million in incentives tied to bringing higher‑end retail, and D.R. Horton, which she said received about $3 million to secure commercial tenants. Freeman said those incentives risk “giving away our future tax revenue.”

Traffic and regional coordination were frequent topics. Freeman said Lehi must work with the Utah Department of Transportation and neighboring cities to address commuter flows through the city, and she referenced MAG (the regional planning organization) as part of the funding and planning process. “It’s gonna take funding from both sides or multiple sides,” she said.

Freeman also raised public‑safety concerns. Citing conversations with local police leadership, she said Lehi is “short over 30 police officers” as the city has grown, and she linked increased traffic and congestion to higher risk of accidents and crime.

On city finances and capital projects, Freeman questioned large bond obligations and long‑range plans that rely on debt. She identified recent bonds for a new city hall/library campus and a municipal fiber project as expensive obligations and said she had been told the city’s outstanding bonds amount to roughly $2,300 per resident when spread across the population (as described to her by staff). Freeman said she is “super fiscally conservative” and wants the council to scrutinize whether projects are needs or wants and whether private partners could provide some services.

Freeman raised the new parks master plan, noting she saw an estimate in planning materials of about $40 million for a family park concept and asked how the city plans to fund long‑term upkeep after temporary park taxes expire. She favored prioritizing smaller, widely used neighborhood parks over immediate completion of additional phases of very large regional parks.

Pedestrian infrastructure and sidewalks were a particular focus. Freeman said many older parts of Lehi lack sidewalks and that the current resident‑pay option she described to listeners — $277 a month for 10 years — would total “third 30 something thousand dollars” for a homeowner. She urged the city to gather resident priorities (age of home, mobility needs, school routes, foot traffic) and create a prioritized plan rather than asking elderly or fixed‑income homeowners to shoulder the full cost.

Freeman closed by asking voters to contact her through rachelfreeman.org or her campaign social pages and by saying she has received an endorsement from the Utah County Republican Party. The episode host, identified on the podcast as the Utah County Republican Party vice chair, gave a personal endorsement as a Lehi resident during the closing.

Freeman said her three top priorities are balanced growth, safe streets and pedestrian routes, and preservation of green space and trails.

Contact: rachelfreeman.org; Facebook: Rachel Freeman for Lehi City Council.