The Summit County Council unanimously appointed Canice Harte to serve as chair this year, with Roger Armstrong taking over his previously held position of vice chair.
The chair of the County Council has additional responsibilities compared to other councilors, including running meetings, coordinating policy discussions and working closely with the county manager and other officials to monitor operations and needs.
Harte will replace County Councilor Tonja Hanson, who chaired the governing body in 2025. Hanson will continue to serve as a county councilor for the remainder of her term.
“When I think about my time as vice chair working with you, I really appreciate how inclusive you were in letting me participate in this opportunity,” Harte told Hanson after the vote. “I think you did a fantastic job as chair, and it’s going to be hard to even get close to filling your shoes, so I wanted to say thank you for your time and for all the extra effort you put into that.”
Harte was elected to the County Council in 2022. He currently represents District 5, which encompasses the Jeremy Ranch area and Pinebrook. In addition to his position on the County Council, Harte is the operations manager for Summit County Search and Rescue.
He first campaigned for the County Council in 2020, but he lost the Democratic primary election to former Summit County Council Chair Malena Stevens. Two years later, he launched a successful bid for what was then Seat E, winning the caucus and defeating his Republican opponent, John “Jack” Murphy, with approximately 56% of the vote in his favor during the general election.
Harte’s seat is on the November ballot this year, and he announced his reelection campaign in late December. He will face off against challenger Meredith Reed, a local real estate agent who currently serves as the president of the Park City Board of Education.
Both Harte and Reed are Democrats, and the local Democratic Party will hold a caucus this spring to determine whether one of the Democratic candidates in each race has the majority support from caucus voters. If so, then only one candidate will advance and be placed on the Election Day ballot. If the caucus is unable to come to a consensus, then a traditional primary election will be held to narrow the playing field.
Councilors additionally selected Armstrong to serve as vice chair.
Armstrong is the second longest-serving member of the County Council, having first taken office in 2013. He was reelected in 2024, but said he does not plan to run again after his term ends in January 2029.