As a community, we are fortunate to have three worthy candidates on the ballot for Summit County Council Seat C. Each brings an important perspective to the community conversation and reflects our broadly shared values. Given the complex challenges and pressures before us as a county, I believe a candidate with deep experience, a demonstrated track record of wise decision-making, and unmitigated passion for the county from east to west is critical for the seat. And so I’m proud to endorse Thomas Cooke.
I worked side by side with Thomas on the Snyderville Basin Planning Commission for nearly five years, managing daunting legislative and development pressures at every turn. I watched Thomas stand up for the community on issue after issue — for instance, staunchly defending General Plan Policy 2.3 that prohibits new development entitlements that don’t meet highly restrictive exception criteria.
The natural instinct for many on commissions and councils is to compromise, give a little here and there, and then watch as poorly planned development sprawls across the landscape. But Thomas’s instinct was simply to follow our development code without fear or favor, and keep the community top-of-mind at every turn.
When Dakota Pacific’s tech center proposal came before the commission, I watched Thomas work doggedly to unpack the layers of the deal, and be among the first to raise the flag on what our community would eventually realize was a bad deal for Summit County. It’s easy to forget that when the proposal first came before the commission, it enjoyed support. Even the eventual denial was a split vote. But Thomas sniffed out the underlying issues and was fearless in leading the commission to a “no” vote.
However, Thomas doesn’t simply say no. During Thomas’s tenure — including his time leading the commission as chair — the commission likely approved more affordable housing than at any other time in its history. Thomas earnestly leans in to advocate for housing and responsible planning to ensure that where development does occur, it serves community needs. You just won’t see him settle for mediocrity.
A vote for Thomas is not about challenges and victories of the past, or even necessarily what’s before the council today. It’s about the complexity of what comes next and the experience and judgment we hope our leaders bring to the next set of challenges. That’s what my good friend Thomas brings, and why I enthusiastically endorse him today.
Ryan Dickey
Park City