Eagle Mountain

Emily Buss

Timeline of Personal Accomplishments

My educational background is rooted in advocacy, policy, and research, with a focus on child welfare and social impact. I’ve spent my life fighting for families and building programs that serve real needs in real communities. Whether it’s creating resources for underserved youth, expanding access to support services, or partnering with local organizations, I know how to turn ideas into action, and action into outcomes.

My experience spans board governance, strategic planning, youth development, and grassroots coalition-building, all rooted in listening, observing, and collaborating.

2023-Present

Co-Founder & Board Chair, Birthday Box Foundation: Led organizational growth from concept to high-impact entity creating a sense of belonging in the community. Scaled annual budget by 1,500% and fundraising goals by 500%. Served over 1,800 children/families through 15 strategic partnerships and 500+ volunteers.

2024

Founding Board Member, The Wellness Farm Foundation: Support strategic oversight for trauma and grief recovery programs, promoting holistic healing strategies that directly align with state-level mental health initiatives.

November 2024

Heart & Hands Award – Utah Philanthropy Day: Celebrated for over 2,000 hours of volunteer service and community building, underscoring a deep, long-standing commitment to public service and constituent needs.

2025

Advisory Board Member, The Wellness Farm Foundation: Support strategic planning and capacity building for trauma and grief recovery programs that directly align with state-level mental health initiatives.

February 2025

Nonprofit of the Year – Eagle Mountain Chamber of Commerce: Honored for successfully building a high-impact, grassroots nonprofit from the ground up, proving fiscal stewardship and organizational management skills crucial for state budget oversight.

April 2025

Elevate Business Impact Award - Elevate Business Summit by four cross-sector Chambers: Recognized for visionary leadership, strategic community engagement, and cross-sector collaboration, highlighting credibility with Utah’s business community.

September 2025

Honored as one of Utah’s 100 Companies Championing Women by the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity and the Utah Women & Leadership Project, recognized for my leadership in innovative, supportive policies and cultures and for advancing a workplace environment that uplifts women and families across Utah.

December 2025

Recognized on Giving Tuesday for outstanding local impact after being nominated by the community; led the organization from serving 250 children and families in 2024 to 2,500 within two years, and coordinated support for a dozen local food pantries during the government shutdown.

focus on health

In 2014, I started researching and advocating for treatments for my son’s life-threatening food allergies. I Identified a groundbreaking therapy that successfully resolved his peanut allergy and reduced his anaphylaxis risk. This experience strengthened my commitment to evidence-based solutions and proactive family advocacy.

In 2018, I survived a life-threatening ectopic pregnancy that went untreated for weeks, revealing serious gaps across healthcare, insurance, and government systems. This experience deepened my commitment to improving accountability, patient protections, and access to timely care.

Positions on Utah Forward Party Priorities

What specific local issues compelled you to seek political office?

For years, I have watched Eagle Mountain and the west side of Utah County grew faster than the infrastructure meant to support it. This summer, while running for City Council, I experienced firsthand just how severe the problem has become. Nearly every day I found myself stuck in gridlock, sometimes waiting an hour just to leave town, only to end up stalled again at the same chokepoints on state-managed roads that have not been expanded in almost two decades. Our population has quadrupled, yet the roads built for a small rural community are still expected to carry the weight of a major city. The result is predictable: frustration, road rage incidents, and fatal crashes that make the news far too often. I have watched it get worse every year, and I know it will continue to worsen unless the state finally prioritizes the communities west of the Wasatch Front.

This issue pushed me to run for local office, and it is also the reason I am seeking a seat in the State Senate. Our dangerous and inadequate roads are not just a local inconvenience, they are a public safety crisis. Eagle Mountain residents depend on state roads to get in and out of our city, yet our needs have been overlooked for far too long. The state wants cities like ours to absorb more housing, including higher-density developments to meet growing demand statewide, but those mandates do not come with the infrastructure investment needed to keep residents safe. Families here feel unheard, misunderstood, and forgotten, and I understand why. They live with the daily consequences.

Connectivity across the west side of the Wasatch Front is broken, and it affects far more than traffic patterns. When state population counts are outdated or inaccurate, funding formulas shortchange communities that are growing the fastest. When transit options lag decades behind development, residents lose access to jobs, services, and opportunities. And when the state pushes more density without ensuring road expansions, impact fees, and safety resources keep pace, it places cities in an impossible position. Growth continues, but the tools to manage it do not.

During my City Council campaign, residents shared their experiences with me: emergency vehicles stuck in traffic during peak hours, commutes that doubled over the last five years, and parents who worry about their teenagers driving on roads filled with road rage and roads that were never designed for this volume of cars. I heard from families in older neighborhoods still waiting for basic safety improvements like adequate egresses and from new residents shocked at how disconnected they are from the rest of the counties. These stories made it clear that we need a stronger voice at the state level, someone who is willing to challenge outdated plans, push for accurate data, and fight for infrastructure dollars where they are needed right now, not where a decades-old study predicted they would be needed.

When I ran for City Council, I was by far the least-known candidate, but my message resonated. I ran a grassroots campaign with handmade signs and I finished only 175 votes away from unseating an incumbent, and afterward dozens of residents encouraged me to apply for this midterm Senate appointment. That support showed me that people are ready for a new kind of leadership: someone who listens, speaks up, and brings solutions that align with real community needs. The experience also strengthened my belief that local voices matter, and that our state policies must reflect the realities on the ground.

If appointed to fill the State Senate seat for district 11, I would work to champion infrastructure funding based on current population growth, not outdated projections. I would support allowing cities more flexibility to slow development when infrastructure is insufficient, and I would push to tie faster timelines for road improvements to new developments. I also believe impact fees must be updated so developers contribute their fair share, rather than placing the cost of rapid growth on current residents. And I support giving cities the ability to assess impact fees for public safety staffing, because every new development requires officers and first responders to keep pace with population increases.

My motivation for seeking office comes from a simple belief: communities deserve to be safe, connected, and heard. The west side has done its part by welcoming new families, building homes, and supporting state housing goals. Now the state must do its part by investing in the roads, transit, and safety infrastructure that makes growth sustainable. I am running because I refuse to accept the idea that some communities are destined to be an afterthought. Representation shapes outcomes, and it is time for someone who understands our challenges to fight for us at the state level.

This is not just about traffic. It is about safety, equity, and quality of life. It is about ensuring that families in district 11 and across Utah can get to work, to school, to medical appointments, and back home safely. I want us to build a state where growth is planned, not endured, and make sure the voices of the people who live here are not only heard but taken seriously.

That is why I am seeking political office. I know we can do better, and I am ready to get to work.

Legislation Idea

The Utah Public Transparency & Citizen Access Act

A practical, bipartisan bill that helps restore trust without wading into culture-war issues. This is directly aligned with what Utahns across the spectrum have voiced for over a decade. This type of bill touches on universal frustrations:

● “Government isn’t listening.”

● “Decisions are made behind closed doors.”

● “We don’t know how money is spent.”

● “People shouldn’t need lawyers or lobbyists to understand what’s going on.”

What the Bill Could Do

1. Create a Single, Searchable Public Database

All state expenditures, contracts, grants, and vendor payments available in one easy-to-search portal.

Utah already has partial systems, but people hate the fragmentation.

Bipartisan benefit:

● Reduces waste, fraud, duplication.

● Increases accountability and protects vulnerable groups.

● Improves trust.

2. Require Plain-Language Summaries for All Bills

People consistently complain that legislative language is inaccessible.

Every bill filed must include:

● A plain-English summary,

● A “what this means for you” section,

● A simple table showing costs or savings.

3. 48-Hour Public Access Rule for Bill Substitutes

This is the #1 procedural complaint from Utah citizens and journalists. No more “last-minute surprises” where substitutes appear hours before votes.

4. Strengthen Open Meetings & Public Notice Requirements

People get frustrated when the public finds out after decisions are made. Especially for:

● Budget hearings

● Land use changes

● Board appointments

● Education policy discussions

5. Create a Public Comment Portal With Required Legislative Response

This shows voters that their input is seen. Not binding — but requires a written response on:

● “Support, oppose, or neutral”

● “The rationale for the committee decision.”

Other Legislative Ideas

Youth mental health access simplification

- Improving wait times, streamlining referrals

Workforce housing for teachers, nurses, and first responders

- Not broad housing reform, just targeted, practical workforce support

Rapid emergency medical response expansion in rural counties

- Support rural strengthening EMS


Submitted Documents