I first came to Park City on a ski trip in 1978 and never imagined I’d be lucky enough to call this place home. A dozen years ago, with our kids grown and a new chapter ahead of us, my wife Jamie and I turned a long-held dream into reality and moved here full time.
As Myles Rademan likes to say, “If you are lucky enough to live in Park City, you are lucky enough.” Lucky doesn’t begin to describe the gratitude I feel for this community that embraced us, and for the mountains, wildlife, and people who make this place what it is.
My love for Park City is exactly what motivated me to run for mayor. This town is extraordinary, but that doesn’t mean we can’t strengthen it and improve quality of life for more people, more wildlife, and the nature that sustains us.
The recent National Community Survey reflects what many of us feel. Our natural setting and sense of safety remain our greatest strengths, but trust in government, satisfaction with the city’s direction, and confidence in local decision making have slipped. Significantly.
Serving on Nann Worel’s campaign committee gave me my first real look into how our local government operates. I kept showing up. Council meetings, the General Plan committee, conversations with city leaders past and present, and countless discussions with community members.. All of it deepened my understanding.
What I see is clear. Park City has lost some responsiveness to its residents. Negotiations with our ski resorts have been challenging and have often required extraordinary effort from engaged citizens just to protect community interests. Developers continue to receive exceptions that help their bottom line while the costs, especially traffic, fall on the people who live here. And too often, resident voices are overshadowed by visitor and commercial priorities. Anyone who has tried to navigate public process lately knows these frustrations well.
My decision to run is grounded in a simple idea. Residents deserve a stronger voice in City Hall. That starts with opening the door wider. No more backroom negotiations or consultants hand-picked by closed-door committees. Let’s bring every major discussion into the open and make resident input the starting point. Let’s do what my campaign did and go neighborhood by neighborhood to understand what matters most in each corner of town. Let’s replace State of the City speeches with regular town halls where residents tell the city how they are doing. And after every big decision, I will provide a clear brief explaining how we got there and why we made the choices we did, especially when compromise was involved.
Park City still has its magic, but we all feel the mounting pressures. State-driven growth. A looming 2034 Olympics. Declining snowpack. A growing socio-economic divide. At the root of these challenges is the question of how we move forward without losing the small-town feel, sense of community, natural setting, and historic character we cherish.
Throughout my career in business and the nonprofit world, I’ve earned a reputation for finding common ground, setting goals, following through, and treating people with respect. Here in Park City, I’ve also shown an ability to cut through red tape and deliver meaningful solutions when the need was greatest. These are the skills and the emotionally intelligent leadership I intend to bring to City Hall with a clear, residents-first perspective. Because if people don’t feel like their government is working for them, then it isn’t working. That’s not negativity. It takes courage and compassion to offer honest criticism, and even more to commit to doing better.
If you’re still making up your mind, there’s still time for us to connect. Visit jack4mayor.com for background and reach out to me directly by phone or email. I’m an open book with an open door. Once you’re ready to vote, please remember ballots must be received (not postmarked) by Tuesday, Nov. 4. It’s too late to mail them, so make a plan to drop yours at The Market or the library, or vote in person at the Quinn’s Health Department on Round Valley Drive. (City Hall is not a polling place this year.)
With your support, I will work every day inside City Hall to rebuild trust and strengthen our government’s relationship with you. But win or lose, I remain committed to this community. This campaign has deepened my connection to my neighbors and to the place we call home. I’m grateful for every conversation, every criticism, every chance to learn and grow. I’m a better man than I was a few months ago, and I have the people of Park City to thank for that.
I’d be honored to return the favor by serving as your next mayor.
Thank you, Park City.
Jack Rubin
Park City