As someone who regularly attends Park City Council and Planning Commission meetings, serves on city committees, completed Leadership, and helped organize 1,500+ supporters for Responsible Resort Area Development — which required direct engagement with city leadership and Park City Mountain — I take our elections seriously. We need steady, independent leadership. That’s why I’m voting for Jeremy Rubell.
Jeremy Rubell is exactly who we elected him to be: transparent, data-driven, and immune to the political machine. He didn’t show up to play along or trade favors. He comes to meetings prepared, asks tough questions, and demands data the public, not just consultants, can trust. If it’s not available, he presses pause until it is. That’s not stonewalling. That’s smart, accountable governance.
He’s not afraid to stand alone when it counts. Rubell has challenged insider culture and backroom deal-making plaguing city process in recent years. Two of his colleagues running for office this year say they’re tired of consultants, but Jeremy’s the one who calls out mismanagement and stops the blank checks.
Take the 200-acre Small Area Plan. From the start, it was clear to me a deputy city manager and an out-of-state consultant with close ties to a major tenant were steering the process toward predetermined outcomes. Residents flagged problems with transparency and flawed survey design. A similar process unfolded with a second committee focused on the 5-acre parcel. Both were thanked, then ignored. Staff and consultants took it from there.
Rubell wasn’t having it. When progress stalled, he initiated a council inquiry. While details of the deputy city manager’s departure may be debated, it’s clear there were ongoing performance concerns that were shielded too long. Rubell didn’t cause her exit, but he did insist on oversight and accountability.
He also pushed council to move forward with the 5-acre site. But instead of refining an RFP collaboratively with council through open process like is happening with Bonanza Park now, a hand-selected committee advanced only one finalist. A potential conflict of interest came to light with that finalist. While two councilors brushed it off, Rubell, along with council members Bill Ciraco and Ed Parigian, demanded a reset. The revised RFP included stricter disclosure language, a clear signal that lessons were learned and trust needed to be restored.
Jeremy champions fiscal discipline. He voted against a $725,000 consulting contract to study a controversial access road to Clark Ranch. Why? Because there is no justification. Meanwhile, Summit County and High Valley Transit are asking Park City to fund tens of millions toward a Bus Rapid Transit project that primarily benefits surrounding communities while imposing noise, trail loss, and wildlife impacts on the 224 corridor. Jeremy’s not afraid to say it doesn’t pencil for Park City taxpayers.
Rubell is pro-84060. That doesn’t mean he’s anti-county, but he believes Park City residents should be prioritized for city services, projects and amenities. Take the ice arena. Built on city land and with more than half the users coming from outside 84060, it received county support until that support dried up. Jeremy is pushing to rebalance things. He’s advocated for lower rates and more access for residents at the MARC, golf course, and ice arena, while suggesting modest increases for non-residents. That’s not exclusion. It’s equity.
Jeremy understands the value of staff and frequently praises their work. But he also sees through spin, fuzzy math and bureaucratic sleight-of-hand. When someone cuts corners or hides facts, he doesn’t look away. He calls it out. Because he’s not here to protect feelings. He’s here to protect the public.
Rubell listens. Not to check boxes, but to understand. Consultants, and even council members and the mayor, often brush resident feedback aside as anecdotal or negligible. They label it “negative” when it doesn’t suit. Jeremy values lived experience and designs real solutions that accomplish multiple goals. Like with municipal recreation where his holistic approach to a collection of problems is resulting in financial viability for golf operations, improved access for locals, and reduced residential water rates.
Letters and promises are flying around this election. Many sound nice. Few stand up to scrutiny. Jeremy Rubell has earned my trust and vote.
Deb Rentfrow
Park City