A Park Meadows resident with a varied background in business has begun a bid for the mayor’s office, saying he wants to ensure the broad populace of Parkites has influence at the Marsac Building.
Jack Rubin has lived in Park City full time since 2014 and brings experience in finance, investment banking and institutional asset management to the campaign. His career has also included work on restricted affordable housing and medical cannabis. He has been involved in a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping first-generation college students.
“My campaign will be rooted in truth, in respectful debate, and in a shared love of this remarkable place. I believe Park City’s people are its greatest strength. And if I have the privilege to serve, I’ll work every day to ensure that our future reflects who we are and who we want to be,” Rubin said in a prepared statement announcing the campaign.
Rubin in an interview explained that he sees his lack of service in elected office in Park City as a strength. He said there are interest groups, such as the tourism industry, developers and the not-for-profit sector, in Park City, but residents do not have the same level of organization.
“I would like to see their voice inside the council chambers be louder,” he said about rank-and-file Parkites, adding that a more open government would be a step toward that goal.
He also addressed the topic in the prepared campaign announcement, saying, “This is a town in motion — growing, evolving, redefining itself with every new plan and project. And while the voices of our ski resorts, developers, largest nonprofits, and tourism operators are very well represented, the voices of everyday residents are too often dismissed.”
The issue is key to Rubin’s platform.
Rubin also said he would tap experts to complement the work of municipal staffers as strategic decisions are made. He said the community deserves the best expertise as options are crafted addressing issues.
Rubin unsuccessfully sought a seat in the state Senate in 2018 as a Republican, losing the bid for the GOP nomination in a district that stretched from the Park City area to the Uinta Basin.
Park City elections are nonpartisan, but the city is widely considered to be one of the state’s most reliably Democratic areas. Rubin predicted his Republican background will not endanger the mayoral campaign, noting the nonpartisan nature of City Hall politics.
“Absolutely,” he said about whether someone with a Republican background can win elected office in Park City.