Mike Georgi wants to give back to the community he calls home, so he’s running for Kamas City Council.
Georgi graduated from South Summit High School and spent the early years of his career working for the Kamas City Police Department, a job he accepted after struggling to balance college courses and a full-time job in Wyoming.
“It got to the point where I was the only one there, and the call volume was just too much for me,” he said. “I was getting called all the time, so I left law enforcement and went to build custom log homes.”
He eventually returned to law enforcement and retired after 20 years with the Summit County Sheriff’s Office in 2018, but he never forgot how the City of Kamas supported him as an employee and a young adult.
“I figured since Kamas employed me for seven years, the least I could do is try to give them back a little of what they gave me and what I’ve learned over the years through my law enforcement career,” Georgi said. “There are things here in Kamas that need to be addressed for the long term. It’s not just what we need right now, but what we need for our kids and their kids and the future of the Kamas Valley.”
Georgi said he considered running in previous elections but always decided against it. His friends convinced him to take the plunge this year, and he said he’s been pleasantly surprised by the experience.
“I’ve attended City Council meetings since April to get familiar with some of the terms and other things I’d have to deal with and what some of the pressing problems are,” Georgi said. “I can honestly say that I don’t really feel that any of our sitting council members are doing a bad job at all. They’re really cognizant of what the needs of the city are, and I hope to add my two cents.”
Infrastructure is Georgi’s biggest concern. He pointed to his experience as a city employee, saying he had first-hand knowledge of the city’s difficulties with its sewer and water lines, which haven’t been upgraded or replaced in years. With the growing population of the Kamas Valley, bumping up the size and quality of city pipes should be a top priority, according to Georgi.
“I want us to grow responsibly,” he said. “Maybe not in the next four years, but in the near future, I could see us needing a treatment plant. I want to try to pursue every and all government grants so we don’t have to increase the tax burden on the citizens to pay for these things.”
Georgi said he also wants to focus on recreation opportunities for kids by revitalizing playgrounds and city parks to give local children safe places to play and socialize.
“My wife’s family is from Peoa and Hoytsville, so they’re a farming, agricultural family. I like that, and I’d like to try and keep that here,” he said. “I know a lot of the farms are going under, either because the kids don’t want to continue with agriculture or for other reasons, so they’re doing the best they can with what they have, but they can’t afford to keep their farms going.”
Georgi also listed affordable housing, especially for seasonal workers, as another priority if he were elected to City Council.
“I feel like I’m the best qualified candidate that’s running based on my experience here in the valley over the 50 years or so that I’ve been here,” he said. “I think I have a good grasp of what some of our needs are, and I’ll be responsible with taxpayer money in taking care of those needs.”
Two Kamas City Council seats are on the ballot this November. Georgi is one of three candidates vying for the position, along with Steve Cyr and incumbent David Darcey.