Bruce Adams

Candidate for San Juan County Commission, District 1
Bruce Adams is the current District 1 County Commissioner and is running for re-election. He is also a rancher, former school teacher and longtime resident of Monticello. Having served 14 years as a County Commissioner, Adams believes his experience is one of his greatest strengths.
“I would hope that I could be elected because of my experience and my background to provide some stability to the commission, with the very distinct possibility that there could be some brand new commissioners [who do] not have any background,” he said.
If elected, Adams hopes to focus on the oil and mining operations of San Juan County.
“We think there are some minerals in the northern part of the county that we have designated as an energy corridor,” he said. “Hopefully they’ll be able to produce minerals and add to the revenue stream.”
Adams currently serves on the Permanent Community Impact Fund Board. This is a Governor-appointed position that administers oil royalties from federal property in Utah, allowing smaller communities to apply for grant benefits.
“I think it’s important that San Juan County has representation on that board,” he said. “We have been one of the top five producers in the state to the fund, so I take a lot of pride in the fact that I sit on the board and have a lot of influence over where the money is spent.”
Along with oil revenue, Adams sees potential in Monticello’s expanding tourism industry.
“We’ve seen an increase in visitation since the monument became an issue back in the Obama administration. We welcome those people and we want them to be as respectful as the local citizenry have been for a hundred years,” he said.
He believes local officials and citizens need to better educate tourists to protect the land.
This is the fifth election Adams has faced in his career as commissioner. Despite being in a special election as an incumbent, he does not see his campaign strategy as changing under these circumstances.

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