Garfield County Commission votes not to rename Burr Trail Scenic Byway after President Donald Trump

PANGUITCH — The Garfield County Commission decided against renaming two southern Utah roads after President Donald Trump.

The proposal to rename either the Burr Trail Scenic Byway or John’s Valley Road sparked strong emotions and a heated debate among residents.

Many people spoke out in favor of the name change and against it during a public hearing in Panguitch Monday afternoon.

The public hearing was moved to the Fair Building at the Garfield County Fairgrounds instead of the County Building because of the anticipated large crowd.

“We traveled a long distance,” said Brenda Baird, a descendant of John Atlantic Burr who was at the meeting. “This is important to me and our family.”

Baird spoke out against the name change but said she would’ve done the same thing even if the consideration for the change was for a Democratic president.

“Pioneers should never be canceled out by any politician,” she said to the three-person Garfield County Commissions, emphasizing the importance of preserving her great-grandfather’s legacy.

The proposal, introduced by Commission Chairman Leland Pollock, aimed to honor President Trump for his policies that benefited Garfield County during his first term, particularly his 2017 decision to reduce the size of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

“He did so many good things for this county,”  Pollock said. “People that like to graze cattle, go out and cut trees, land access. Trump was like a miracle worker for any public federal land.”

Pollock said during the public hearing this his proposal wasn’t politically motivated.

“We just want to thank the guy for listening to us and helping our county. He really does care for rural counties,” Pollock said.

The proposal was to rename the Burr Trail to the President Donald Trump Burr Trail Highway, or John’s Valley Road to the President Donald Trump John’s Valley Road, or some variation of those names.

“We’re not erasing the heritage,” Pollock said.

Those in favor of the name change said it was a way to show President Trump they appreciate his efforts.

“I don’t see anything wrong with naming it the Trump Highway,” Stanton Gleave said when talking about John’s Valley Road. “He has done so much for us. I think maybe we should find something even bigger to name after him.”

Despite the mixed opinions, the commission ultimately voted 2-to-1 against the name change.

Commissioner Jerry Taylor expressed his reservations, saying, “I’m not so sure about this.”

Pollock voted in favor of the name change for either option, while Taylor and Commissioner David Tebbs voted against either option.

“Even though I would be in favor of it, I have to represent what my constituents wants,” Tebbs said, who noted a majority of people were against the name change in an online poll he conducted.

For the Burr family, the decision was a victory. “Oh, I’m really happy right now,” Baird said with a laugh.

Although the commission voted against renaming the roads, they agreed to find another way to honor President Trump in the future.

This is not the first time a Utah road was almost renamed in honor of Trump.

In 2018, a state lawmaker proposed a bill to rename several southern Utah roads the “Donald J. Trump Utah National Parks Highway.”

However, the bill faced controversy and was never voted on.