FRISCO — If elected as Summit County commissioner, Daryl Bohall would advocate for a more efficient government. 

“(I) would be doing the best that I can to make sure that the county government runs as efficiently as possible and works as quickly as possible for the residents of Summit County by working eight, 10, 12, 14, 16 hours a day, six to seven days a week,” he said. “I’ll put in the time, the effort, the focus and scrutinize every county opening.”

Bohall, a Republican, is up against Democrat Tamara Pogue for the District 2 county commissioner seat, which covers Dillon and Frisco. Bohall has been in the county since 2003 and owns DRB Sales and Distributing. 

Bohall isn’t making any platform promises right now. If elected, he said he first wants to address the impact of the novel coronavirus on the county’s budget.

“I want to see, if elected, how the actual budget shakes out (and) see what kind of shortfall we have,” he said. 

While he isn’t making any official plans for his campaign, Bohall does have priorities when it comes to the pandemic. He said he would be opposed to putting the county into another shutdown similar to what was seen in March. 

“My personal opinion is if we were to leave big businesses open like Target, Walmart, City Market, Safeway and gas stations — and if you allowed so many people in the store per square foot and had a mask — I believe every small business should have that opportunity, as well,” he said. 

As the pandemic progresses, it will be essential to support small businesses and help them recover from the economic fallout, he said. 

“I believe they should have the same opportunity to remain open as big business,” he said. “I know that we consider groceries, gas and stuff like that essential items, but a person’s small business, that’s their livelihood, that’s essential to them.”

When it comes to preventing the spread of the virus, Bohall believes it’s natural for people to let their guard down when it comes to wearing masks and social distancing. 

“We’re not all built to be extreme introverts,” he said. “Unless we have a vaccine, it’s going to make its way through the population gradually; it’s just a matter of how fast. … How much do we take away of people’s freedoms? Or how much do we suggest people not use their freedoms versus people eventually doing what they want to do?”

Bohall said he’s worried about how the pandemic will impact the mental health and well-being of people in Summit County. Eventually the county will have to decide how to balance between people’s mental well-being and the number of cases of the virus in the county, he said.

Bohall said he’s supportive of the county’s current mental and behavioral health awareness and prevention programs, such as the Summit County Sheriff’s Office SMART team and the county’s Withdrawal Management Center. 

Outside of the pandemic, Bohall said he would like to see affordable housing that is more attainable. He pointed to the Dillon Valley Vistas development, which offers deed-restricted homes ranging from $415,372 to $471,320, as an example of over-priced affordable housing. 

“Is that affordable for the people that we’re intending it to be affordable for, and is it the best use of our tax dollars?” he said. “I think it actually, in a lot of cases, hurts the people the most that it’s intended to benefit.”

Bohall said he believes resorts and other big businesses should have to include employee housing in expansion plans, as well. 

If elected, Bohall said he would work hard for his constituents and be available whenever people have questions. 

“They’re going to get somebody that’s going to work for them for as many hours that’s needed, as many days of the week needed to do the job right,” he said.