Park City Mayor-elect Ryan Dickey intends to resign from the City Council later this month, a step that will allow the recruitment to start for someone to serve the remainder of his term.
A City Hall release indicated that Dickey plans to leave the council just after the Dec. 18 meeting, the last scheduled this year. Dickey’s resignation will leave the City Council with a vacant seat.
According to the City Hall release, Utah law outlines the timeline for the appointment. The release says the elected officials have 30 days to make the appointment once a vacancy occurs. State law says City Hall must “provide at least 14 calendar days of public notice before the City Council interviews candidates and makes the appointment,” according to the release.
Park City anticipates the application period will open Dec. 23 at the latest, with a Jan. 5 deadline. An applicant must be a Park City resident, be registered to vote in the city and have been a resident of the city for a minimum of 365 days before taking office.
The elected officials will interview the candidates during an open meeting before making the appointment.
There could be broad interest in the midterm appointment, given that the City Hall election this year drew a wide field of City Council candidates. There were two City Council seats on the ballot in November. Tana Toly, an incumbent, and Diego Zegarra won the two seats. Some of the unsuccessful City Council candidates have since indicated they are considering seeking the midterm appointment.
The term ends in early 2028. The person selected would need to seek a full term in the 2027 City Hall election, when three City Council seats will be on the ballot.
The selected person will join the City Council at a critical time for the municipal government. The work plan at City Hall covered during the midterm appointment period is expected to include housing progress, transportation planning, preparations for the 2034 Winter Olympics, and the future of the Main Street core. There have been questions about the pace of progress at City Hall recently, and that issue is expected to continue through at least the early months of the next administration.
Dickey was the most recent person appointed to the City Council mid-term. He joined the City Council in early 2022 to succeed Nann Worel, who was elected mayor while serving as a city councilor. Dickey won a full term during the 2023 election. Worel did not seek reelection this year and will retire in early January. Worel was also a member of the Park City Planning Commission.
Dickey won the mayor’s office by just seven votes over challenger Jack Rubin. The mayoral term will run through early 2030.
More information about the City Council appointment process is available on the municipal website, parkcity.org.