Byron Ames isn’t a new name for Francis City residents.

Ames, who moved to the area in 2012, has served Francis as a planning commissioner, city councilor and mayor before he decided to take a step back from local politics four years ago to focus on his family and growing business.

Now, with two of his three kids off to college and his law firm’s expansion under control, Ames feels ready to throw his hat in the ring for Francis’ top seat yet again.

“It was a very rewarding experience the first time, and I don’t have an agenda,” Ames said. “There are things that are important to me, but I don’t have ulterior motives. To me, I just want to serve, and I just want to do what I think is right.”

Ames was born in Michigan. He grew up traveling between Japan and Utah County, where his parents bought a home to spend their summers in the United States while his dad worked overseas in Japan for most of the year. He graduated from Timpview High School in Provo and eventually earned a law degree from Gonzaga University in Washington.

He and his wife decided to move to Francis more than a decade ago after spending time with his new brother-in-law, who was born and raised in Oakley. At the time, the rural community of the East Side looked much more appealing to Ames than the bright lights of Las Vegas, where his family had settled after he graduated from law school.

Despite his love for Francis, Ames never thought he would run for public office. He thought of politicians as specializing in “maneuvering and manipulation.” Still, a quick visit to the city building years ago to pay his water bill unexpectedly set him on a course to the mayor’s seat after a fellow resident suggested he apply to fill a vacancy on the Francis Planning Commission.

“I started thinking about how this is a small town. It’s probably easier to make a big difference and to have a positive impact on things,” Ames said. “I felt like I was here and I had some time, so why wouldn’t I give to my community?”

His stint on the Planning Commission around 2013 instilled a passion for local service. Ames then served as a city councilor from 2014 to 2017, and as the city’s mayor from 2018 to 2021.

As he puts it, if an “outsider” who grew up all over the world can be elected in Francis, then anyone with good motivations and a desire to help their community should be able to do the same.

Ames said he doesn’t have a specific goal as mayor, and he also said he wouldn’t classify himself as either pro- or anti-development. Instead, his focus is on future planning and listening to residents’ worries.

“We need to make decisions very slowly and very carefully because I think you really only have one shot to get it right, especially with a place like Francis where it’s a blank canvas in many areas still,” he said. “How we as a city choose to deal with that blank canvas will have a lasting impact on whether our city’s a great place or not, so I think we need to be careful about land use decisions, especially if there are unintended consequences.”

Ames said he’s also dedicated to increasing safety for pedestrians. Specifically, he said he understands kids and teenagers like to walk around town to visit convenience stores and hang out in public parks. He wants to make sure kids walking or biking in Francis or to the surrounding East Side towns are as safe as possible.

“My wife’s a teacher at the high school, and I still have a kid at home in middle school, and he’s at the age where he wants to be doing these fun things and getting around and finding independence and getting into regular kid mischief, but that’s a pretty tough thing for kids around here,” Ames said. “It gets really, really difficult and unsafe for kids to move around … so I also want to focus on that quality of life for families and kids here.”

Ames ultimately broke his campaign down into three key points: his lack of a personal agenda, his ability to listen and his passion for planning.

“I know I need the assistance of other people to get this right. I don’t think I know everything, so I don’t have a superiority complex,” he said. “If what you’re looking for is someone to serve our community, I’m your guy.”

Ames is challenging incumbent Francis Mayor Jeremie Forman for the seat. They will both appear on the general election ballot on Nov. 4. Ballots were mailed on Tuesday and should arrive in mailboxes soon.

The post Former Francis Mayor Byron Ames hopes for second term after break from politics appeared first on Park Record.

Candidates have just a few weeks left to sway voters before Election Day, and those running for office in Park City plan to make their pitches during a political forum next week.

KPCW and The Park Record will host the event, which features the five candidates running for Park City Council and mayor. The forum is scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 15, at the Jim Santy Auditorium in the Park City Library. 

The first hour of the event will spotlight City Council candidates Tana Toly and Jeremy Rubell, the incumbents, as well as Diego Zegarra, an Old Town resident and nonprofit leader. Voters will choose which two candidates win the open seats on Tuesday, Nov. 4.

Toly had a commanding lead in the August primary election, followed by Zegarra and Rubell. 

Toly was born and raised in Park City, and her family is well-known as the owners of Red Banjo Pizza on Main Street. Toly is finishing her first term on the City Council, and previously served on the municipal Historic Preservation Board. Her platform is rooted in progress, including completing the senior center, preserving open space and preparing for the 2034 Games.

Zegarra has lived in Park City since 2018 and works as the vice president of impact for the Park City Community Foundation. His platform is focused on housing, transportation and transit as well as sustainability. Zegarra has said his campaign is also about community and making sure locals’ voices are heard.

Rubell is a Thaynes Canyon resident with experience in management consulting and executive leadership. He is seeking a second term so he can continue his work at the municipal level and help lead the community through change. His priorities include fiscal responsibility at the Marsac Building and preserving neighborhoods and open space.

Mayoral candidates Ryan Dickey, who currently serves on the City Council, and Jack Rubin, a Park Meadows resident, will present their platforms during the second hour of the political forum. There was no primary election in the mayoral race with only two candidates. Incumbent Park City Mayor Nann Worel is not seeking reelection.

Next month’s top vote-getters will take the oath of office in January.

Dickey was appointed to the City Council in 2021 to replace Worel as she took over the mayor’s office. He was elected to a full term in 2023, and his public service also includes the Snuderville Basin Planning Commission and the Snyderville Basin Water Reclamation District. Dickey’s campaign prioritizes leadership, housing, transportation, regional collaboration and Park City’s culture. 

Rubin made Park City his permanent home in 2014, though his connection to the community dates back to 1978. His background includes varied business experiences in finance, investment banking and more. Rubin is running for mayor with the goals of putting residents first, keeping the community accessible and affordable, protecting Park City’s heritage and upholding local values.

Questions at the political forum will focus on the top issues in Park City, such as traffic and development, as well as the future of the community related to the 2034 Winter Olympics and the ski industry. 

Community members can ask questions in person and online, too. KPCW will livestream the political forum on YouTube.

Businessman John Kenworthy also advanced to the general election after the primary, but he withdrew his City Council campaign in September. His name will still appear on the ballot, though no votes cast for Kenworthy will be counted.

Ballots will be mailed to voters on Tuesday and will start appearing in mailboxes later next week. 

The Park Record and KPCW also partnered to create a voter guide featuring the ballot items in Summit and Wasatch counties, which will arrive around the same time.

The voter guide includes questions for city council and mayoral candidates in eastern Summit County, as well as Heber City, Midway, Hideout, and Park City. It also provides information about the general obligation bond for voters in the North Summit School District and the potential incorporation of West Hills.

Ballots must be returned to the Summit County Clerk’s Office by 8 p.m. on Election Day — rather than postmarked the day before the election and received later, as in past years, due to a new state law. 

Drop boxes for ballots will be located throughout Summit County: the Summit County Courthouse in Coalville, the Coalville branch of the Summit County Library, the Park City Library, The Market at Park City, Oakley City Hall, Francis City Hall, Henefer Town Hall, the Kamas Valley Branch of the Summit County Library, the Kimball Junction branch of the Summit County Library by the DMV entrance and the Quinn’s Junction location of the Summit County Health Department.

There’s also now a section for voters to opt in to receiving mail-in ballots in the future. Registered voters must indicate their preference to continue receiving ballots by mail because they will no longer be sent automatically after 2029 (also because of changes to state law). 

The deadline to register and receive a vote-by-mail ballot for the general election is 5 p.m. on Oct. 24. People who are not registered to vote by the deadline, but are otherwise eligible, may vote provisionally in person during early voting and on Election Day.

Early voting is available from Oct. 29 to Nov. 1 at the Summit County Clerk’s Office in the County Courthouse from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and until 1 p.m. on Saturday. The Quinn’s branch of the Summit County Health Department will also be open for early voting from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. during the scheduled dates.

In-person Election Day voting will be available from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Coalville City Hall, the Kamas Valley branch of the Summit County Library and the Summit County Health Department in Quinn’s Junction.

The post Park City candidates to share platforms at upcoming political forum appeared first on Park Record.

Most people want to participate on Election Day, but in some states, there are a few things residents must do to be prepared and ready to vote.

Tuesday is National Voter Registration Day, an effort to educate Americans about what needs to be done as a prerequisite for voting. Summit County Clerk Eve Furse said this helps local election officials and voters alike make sure the election runs smoothly in the long run.

People who have not voted since the last presidential election in 2020 or responded to requests from the Clerk’s Office to verify their status could be marked as inactive, meaning they may not automatically receive a ballot by mail.

Furse said this doesn’t mean someone’s voter registration has expired or that they can’t vote.

“It just means you need to activate your registration. … I’m not going to mail you a ballot because I’m not sure that it’s actually going to get to you if you’re inactive. If you show up to vote in person, that’s all you need to do to reactivate it,” she explained.

Voters are more likely to cast their ballot by mail rather than in person, so residents need to ensure their registration is active. People who vote by mail cannot do so in person.

The Clerk’s Office will start mailing ballots on Oct. 15, which is 10 days before the deadline to register to vote. Ballots will continue to be sent out until around Oct. 28 to guarantee they arrive in time for Election Day.

Furse anticipates there will be around 90% voter turnout on Tuesday, Nov. 5. The vast majority of ballots are submitted by mail and around 5% of votes are cast the day of or in person a few days before.

There are several key local issues on the ballot this year including the races for Summit County Council Seats A and C, the 0.5% emergency services sales tax, the $114 million North Summit School District bond and the proposed constitutional amendments. 

Furse said officials will learn next week whether the Utah Supreme Court decides to count the controversial Amendment D in the vote.

Visit vote.utah.gov for more information about voter registration. The Clerk’s Office can be reached by phone at 435-336-3204.

The post Ready to vote? Check your registration before Election Day appeared first on Park Record.