It’s curious to me when I hear someone say Park City is such a mess that we need to “take it back.” I’ve been here long enough to remember when this town really was struggling — when we didn’t have a tax base, when amenities were scarce, and when the idea of trails, open space, or affordable housing was a pipe dream.
Anyone claiming the city is “ruined” either hasn’t been paying attention or doesn’t know the history and what has been accomplished. And let’s be honest: If Park City was as bad as newcomers say, they wouldn’t have retired and relocated from all over the U.S. and chosen to live here in the last 20+ years.
The truth is, the Park City we know today is the result of decades of tough decisions and hard work. During my years as mayor, we purchased and preserved the Osgathorppe White Barn, PC Hillside, as well as 40 acres of Macleod Creek open space through a donation from Jon Huntsman Sr. Other numerous open space purchases throughout town included my last one as mayor, which was the initial acquisition of the Round Valley acreage.
The city was deliberate in its priority to purchase as many water rights that we could. We also focused on creating collaborating relationships to develop 300+ affordable housing units, those programs being created long before most places even thought about them.
I worked hard to develop long-term and beneficial relationships statewide as president of the Utah League of City and Towns. As mayor and council, it was a high priority of ours to keep Main Street vibrant while still preserving its small-town feel. I, along with key local individuals, secured Park City’s place in the 2002 Winter Olympics — an achievement that brought the world here and gave us resources that we are still benefitting from.
These accomplishments didn’t come easy. They took years of negotiation, compromise, collaboration, and persistence from mayors, council members, planning commissioners, and countless community volunteers. To wave it all away with a slogan about “draining the swamp” is not just dismissive — it’s a slap in the face to the very people who made Park City the community that originally attracted so many of our newer residents to move here.
Yes, we have challenges — traffic, housing, growth pressures. We always have, and like many of our neighboring mountain resort communities, we always will. But the reality is that we’re victims of our own success in building a phenomenal town that everyone wants to live in.
Solutions don’t come from campaign promises. They come from experienced leaders who know the code, the history, and have relationships with the people who actually get things done.
Experience is a crucial element to being successful as mayor. Before being elected mayor, I spent five years on the Planning Commission and two years as an elected City Council member.
Every mayor after me has a list of amazing accomplishments. Plus every mayor had appointed and/or elected knowledge based on years of involvement before becoming Mayor. That’s why experience matters. Without it, a new mayor faces a long learning curve, and Park City doesn’t have time for on-the-job training.
After 12 years as mayor, leading Park City to the brink of hosting the Olympics, I find it unthinkable that at a time when our community needs momentum — not a reset — we would choose a candidate who dismisses 35 years of progress just to win an election.
Ryan Dickey honors our history while moving us forward. That is why I am supporting Ryan Dickey as Park City’s next mayor. He experience includes the Snyderville Basin Planning Commission, being appointed to the City Council and then elected to a four-year term.
In my opinion, he has shown commitment, involvement, and brings a fresh perspective to maintaining what we all love about Park City and will help lead us into the coming future.
Bradley A. Olch
Park City Mayor, 1990-2002