Eric Mainord, a Summit County sheriff’s deputy who briefly ran for sheriff in Wasatch County, had at least three formal complaints filed against him during his previous employment with the Heber City Police Department, according to documents provided to The Park Record through a public records request.

Outgoing Wasatch County Sheriff Jared Rigby, who lost the primary election this summer to Wasatch County Director of Emergency Services Jeremy Hales, contacted Summit County officials in January to express concerns about Mainord’s involvement in the Kouri Richins trial. Mainord withdrew from the race on May 27.

Mainord announced his candidacy for Wasatch County sheriff on Jan. 7, and Rigby met with Summit County Sheriff Kacey Bates the following day. Rigby, now under investigation in Summit County for allegedly interfering with a criminal case, brought a list of 13 claims he said would damage Mainord’s credibility, all of which reportedly stemmed from his employment with the Heber City Police Department from 2013 to 2019.

The Park Record obtained documentation of complaints filed against Mainord while he was employed by Heber City through a Government Records Access and Management Act, which showed he was disciplined and placed on probation at least three times while a member of the Heber City Police Department.

On Tuesday, Mainord declined to comment on the complaints filed against him or the ongoing criminal investigation into Rigby’s actions.

A letter from the Police Department dated Aug. 3, 2015, said Mainord had acted in “an abusive manner” toward a citizen and called his behavior “angry, unprofessional (and) rude.” It also said Mainord threatened to cite or arrest the citizen for an incident “that did not occur” and that he “had insufficient evidence for charges.”

Three supervisors within the department investigated the complaint and determined Mainord had acted inappropriately, according to the letter.

“We are surprised and concerned over the anger you exhibited in the video and concerned with your personal wellbeing and potential stressors that may be aggravating your wellbeing,” the letter said. “We find also that the allegations are sustained and a violation of, or in conflict with, various policies and procedures.”

One policy infraction included a failure to read the citizen their Miranda rights, which inform people of their constitutional rights during a police investigation, the letter said. He also reportedly failed to activate his body camera as required by the department when a situation “becomes adversarial.”

The letter said department supervisors were concerned about Mainord’s behavior because of two previous incidents that caused him to be verbally reprimanded in 2013 and 2014.

Specifically, the document said Mainord cursed at a member of the public at a farmers market in 2013 and was “verbally counseled and warned to correct the behavior.” In 2014, he was again verbally reprimanded for arguing with a Wasatch County employee, according to the letter.

Mainord was asked to comply with a “fitness for duty examination” and follow any recommendations in addition to attending a required anger management class. He was also suspended from participating in special assignments, such as the SWAT team, and barred from receiving overtime unless approved by a supervisor for six months.

He violated the department’s corrective action plan less than two months after the first letter was issued, according to the document.

On Oct. 1, 2015, Mainord was reprimanded for a second time after he allegedly failed to follow orders, “used inappropriate force” and “acted unprofessionally in the presence of the general public by using unnecessary foul language.”

The letter said Mainord was asked to protect an underage girl during an “undercover takedown operation” involving an individual suspected of an inappropriate relationship with the minor. Mainord was ordered to stay with the girl while other officers apprehended the adult individual outside of a restaurant, but Mainord allegedly entered the establishment and contacted the suspect before he left the building.

“You drew your weapon on a suspect who was not posing any threat, whose arms were occupied with a package, and there was no specific information available indicating that there would be a threat,” the letter said. “While your weapon was drawn, you physically engaged the suspect without holstering your weapon while other officers were available to physically take the suspect into custody.”

The document said Mainord also “used foul language in front of uninvolved restaurant patrons and employees.”

Mainord’s supervisors wrote that he violated the city’s personnel policy by refusing to “comply with lawful instruction” and engaging in “insubordination” in addition to violating the Police Department’s procedures surrounding reasonable force and professionalism.

“The violations are further aggravated by recent discipline where mistreatment of another member of the public was addressed,” the letter said. “Because these types of incidents are continuing, a pattern of poor relations between you, the general public and neighboring agencies continues to bring discredit to the Heber City Police Department.”

The second incident led the department to place Mainord on probation for one year, which meant he was ineligible to participate in specialized or out-of-state training, as well as specialized assignments. He was removed from the SWAT team, and the active period for his corrective action plan was extended until May 2016.

Mainord was denied a merit pay increase for the year, too.

The department also mandated Mainord meet with a supervisor “bi-monthly” to “concentrate on (his) attitude and feelings pertaining to the general public, surrounding agencies” and the Heber City Police Department. The supervisor was responsible for documenting Mainord’s work performance and providing him with “coping mechanisms in dealing with stress and deescalating situations.”

Mainord was disciplined for a third time in 2017 after he was involved in a “verbal altercation” with a Utah Highway Patrol trooper, according to another letter in Mainord’s personnel file. The document said the trooper was removing debris from U.S. 40 when Mainord drove by and allegedly passed the trooper “too close,” which caused the trooper to make a rude hand gesture at Mainord.

Mainord then pulled over to talk with the trooper, but the “discussion quickly turned heated and generated a complaint” from the Utah Highway Patrol, the letter said.

Mainord’s supervisors wrote he “unnecessarily” stopped to interact with the trooper “who was obviously hostile” and chose to engage in an argument instead of apologizing, de-escalating the situation or ignoring the trooper. Mainord also cursed at the trooper and reportedly taunted him, based on body camera video the department reviewed.

“The altercation became so heated that (the trooper) called for backup units,” the letter said. “Regardless of our opinion of (the trooper’s) choice, this caused multiple emergency resources to be deployed unnecessarily to a ridiculous situation that you had every opportunity to avoid.”

The letter said Mainord showed a “continuing pattern of conduct” that is “further degrading relations” between Mainord, the public and other law enforcement agencies.

“This discredit has now become so pronounced that when the Wasatch County sheriff was called to testify on a legal action against you, his testimony was damaging,” the letter said, referring to former Wasatch County Sheriff Todd Bonner. “This despite the case being defensible in every other way.”

The document said Mainord was told to take days off with pay and “analyze (his) desire to remain with the department.” He was asked to provide a corrective action plan to his supervisors but failed to do so, which the letter said was “discouraging.”

Mainord was suspended without pay for five days and reassigned as a code enforcement officer and bailiff. He was placed on probation for one year and denied a merit pay increase.

The department also mandated that Mainord meet with a supervisor once a week to discuss his feelings about the job and learn coping strategies. Mainord also received another body camera, which he was directed to activate “anytime a contact becomes ‘adversarial.’”

Mainord appealed the disciplinary actions associated with the Utah Highway Patrol incident, but former Heber City Manager Mark Anderson upheld the department’s findings after reviewing statements from Mainord and the state trooper, body camera footage and internal city reports.

“As I contemplated what a fair outcome would be, the issue that I have to grapple with is the fact that there is a documented pattern of confrontational behavior that has caused harm to the Heber City Police Department’s reputation and enhanced potential liability/risk to the city,” Anderson wrote. “As we discussed, the public is more likely to file suit against the city if the officer involved in an incident has a history of documented aggressive behavior. The risk is increased if other law enforcement agencies view the officer as a problem officer that is difficult to work with.”

Anderson added that he was “confident” Mainord had “the work ethic to be very successful in code enforcement” and encouraged him to view the reassignment as a way to “have a huge positive impact on the appearance of our community.”

“Lastly, Eric, please be aware that the city acknowledges that you have made progress in this area, and that you have solved several high profile crimes through tenacious work effort and … good judgment in many instances,” Anderson said. “The city also appreciates your continued loyalty you have shown. I hope that you will address the issues identified by police leadership, as you have the potential to make a big difference in the department and the city.”

Rigby in a statement to The Park Record through his attorney said the disciplinary records “corroborated Heber City’s findings” that Mainord “used excessive force, was insubordinate and unprofessional in his conduct with citizens and other law enforcement agencies.”

The statement said Rigby “had a duty under Utah law” to report Mainord to Bates since she was the newly appointed sheriff.

“Sheriff Rigby met with Bates in order to protect Wasatch County citizens from potentially being subjected to Mainord’s excessive use of force and unprofessional conduct,” the statement said. “Mainord was expected to soon be part of the Wasatch Back Major Crimes Task Force, which, as a member of, Mainord would potentially investigate serious crimes in Wasatch County. … Sheriff Rigby’s discussion with Bates concerning Mainord’s disciplinary history was consistent with his statutory duty and professional accountability.”

Editor’s note: This article was updated to include a statement from Rigby.

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Snyderville Basin voters will decide whether to approve or reject a $71 million general obligation bond to fund the construction of a new recreation facility after the Summit County Council authorized the ballot measure this week on behalf of the Snyderville Basin Special Recreation District.

Basin Recreation last month unveiled plans for a $150 million general obligation bond to build a climbing facility in Jeremy Ranch and an aquatic center in Silver Creek, but community members and the Summit County Council questioned the project’s cost and need. Residents noted they are already paying for multiple Basin Recreation bonds in addition to the district’s base tax rate.

The district’s executive board and Executive Director Robert Parrish spent the past two weeks revising the proposal to make it more palatable to councilors and residents and suggested a $71 million bond instead, which is half of the district’s original request.

However, Parrish said the cut means the district won’t be able to build both facilities or include all specialized amenities. He said the district would likely construct a building in Silver Creek similar in size to the current Fieldhouse, although a smaller community center or outdoor equipment could still be installed on the Cline Dahle parcel in Jeremy Ranch.

For primary homeowners, the bond would add $12.09 for every $100,000 of a property’s taxable value, so a parcel worth $1 million would pay $120.90 in addition to the district’s base rate and other bond debts.

Secondary-home owners and businesses would pay $21.99 for every $100,000 of a property’s taxable value. That means a business or second home worth $1 million would pay $219.90 in addition to other costs.

Parrish said some of the district’s three outstanding bond debts — two from 2015 and one from 2017 — would expire by 2028, when the district plans to start construction and draw on the new proposed bond funding. Bond B from 2015 expires in December 2028, while the bond from 2017 expires in 2030.

Bond A from 2015 does not expire until December 2034.

Parrish said resolving some of the district’s debt would even out the cost for taxpayers, saying that residents would likely only need to pay for all four bonds, plus the base tax rate, in 2028. After that, at least one of the bonds will have expired, lowering the overall price tag.

Basin Recreation also has $6.3 million in its capital improvement fund, which Parrish plans to use to cover soft costs, like building permits and architectural designs, to delay when the district needs to draw on the bond in an effort to save taxpayers money.

Parrish said the district would hire a general contractor early in the process, too, to ensure the design doesn’t end up more expensive than anticipated.

The Summit County Council unanimously voted to place the bond on the Election Day ballot, with several councilors praising Parrish and the executive board for taking community feedback to heart throughout the proposal process.

“Thank you very much for coming back with a different proposal,” said County Councilor Tonja Hanson. “I think it will bode well with the constituents who were concerned about this. They had sticker shock … so I think your board and what you’ve done is very wise.”

Only voters in the Snyderville Basin within the Basin Recreation boundaries will see the bond measure on their ballot. Interim Summit County Clerk Malena Stevens said most residents living in the 84098 ZIP code are within the boundaries, but residents with a 84060 zip code — which covers most of Park City proper — are not.

Basin Recreation will hold another public hearing and provide information on potential building designs on Sept. 23.

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The Snyderville Basin Special Recreation District is reducing the scope of its proposed bond measure after residents and the Summit County Council questioned the need for certain amenities and bemoaned the district’s growing price tag.

Basin Recreation last month unveiled plans for a $150 million general obligation bond to build a climbing facility in Jeremy Ranch and an aquatic center in Silver Creek, and each building would also have weight and cardio machines like the Fieldhouse. 

Robert Parrish, the district’s executive director, said the expansion is necessary because the Fieldhouse has an “existing capacity deficit” that will only become more apparent as developers build new residential units in the Snyderville Basin.

“There are going to be more of us sharing the same limited resources that we currently have,” Parrish said. “Our hope is we can use this as an opportunity to also expand and provide additional amenities that the community has asked for.”

The facilities’ amenities were determined through multiple surveys and engagement sessions with residents, and the district proposed the $150 million bond in an effort to afford specialized equipment, indoor fields and a lap pool, which community members requested, in addition to the buildings’ construction.

For primary homeowners, the bond would have added $25 for each $100,000 of a property’s market rate value. For example, the owner of a $1 million home would have paid $255 annually under the bond structure, and the owner of a $1.5 million home would have paid $375.

Secondary homeowners and businesses would also have paid an increased fee of $46 for each $100,000 of a property’s market rate value.

However, those numbers did not include Basin Recreation’s base tax rate or the cost of the district’s two previous bonds, which are still being paid off. With the two other bonds included, a primary homeowner would have paid $478 annually for a $1 million property while a business or secondary homeowner would have paid $870.

County Councilor Chris Robinson asked Parrish for the total amount the bond would cost taxpayers, including the base rate. But Parrish did not have a number during Wednesday’s meeting.

Two Summit County residents addressed the County Council with concerns about the bond’s price tag, with one speaker telling Parrish she was confident that voters would reject the proposal on Election Day if the measure were placed on the ballot.

Orlie Bush, who also commented on the proposal, estimated she would pay $2,800 to Basin Recreation annually between her tax bill and $600 12-month membership to use the district’s facilities.

“Like many people, I feel like I’m being taxed out of my home,” Bush said. “Is it the community’s responsibility to provide this? It’s like a private health club. … It’s not reasonable at all, and I think I speak for a lot of the homeowners who have been here a while.”

All five county councilors told Parrish they received “negative feedback” from constituents about the proposal.

County Councilor Tonja Hanson specifically said she would reject the measure in its entirety if it were up to councilors rather than voters.

“I’m absolutely against raising property taxes,” Hanson said. “We are taxing people out of our county. We’ve got the mega rich who can afford it, but we have other people who cannot.”

County Councilor Megan McKenna agreed with Hanson, saying many residents are already struggling financially without the addition of a new bond payment. However, McKenna and Hanson favored putting the bond measure on the ballot anyway to let Snyderville Basin residents determine their future.

But Robinson called putting the bond on the ballot “risky” because it likely wouldn’t pass, potentially undermining the community’s trust in the County Council. He also said he was worried Parrish was “underplaying, understating or underconsidering” the district’s increase in operating costs to run the two facilities.

“It’s a risky gamble, and the risk is not just for Basin Rec and its reputation and credibility, but it’s also for future things that we collectively as a government may want to put on a ballot,” Robinson said.

County Council Vice Chair Roger Armstrong similarly urged Basin Recreation leadership to lower the bond amount or abandon the proposal altogether. He said overcrowding at the Fieldhouse is an issue, but he encouraged the district to find a less expensive solution and provide a “core” fitness facility rather than amenities like a swimming pool or climbing wall.

“The public could take a look at our authorization of a bond that size and decide that we’ve really lost our way and lost our minds in even allowing that to go up for a vote,” Armstrong said. “My biggest fear would be to put something significant like this on the ballot, have it defeated and it then poisons future open space bonds, future other bonds that we really need because it leaves such a bad taste.”

County Council Chair Canice Harte also appeared cautious of the bond’s high price tag, but he told Parrish he would vote to put it on the ballot for voters to decide if that was still the route the district preferred after hearing the feedback.

Parrish declined to move forward with the County Council’s vote, telling Harte that his staff will work on creating a more feasible budget for the facilities.

Parrish said after the meeting that he does not yet know how much the district will request, but he expects the amount to be “half or less” of the current proposal. He also said the change may mean Basin Recreation builds only one of the facilities or downsizes both buildings to be under budget.

The County Council is scheduled to hear the revised proposal on Aug. 19. The last day to submit the bond measure to the state for it to appear on the Election Day ballot is Sept. 4.

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Fewer Summit County voters participated in the primary election last month than in previous years, and county officials are speculating the lower turnout is tied to the state Legislature’s decision to implement districted County Council seats.

The 2026 election cycle is the first time districts have come into play in Summit County. Seats in two — District 4 in the Snyderville Basin and District 5 in the Jeremy Ranch and Pinebrook neighborhoods — are on the ballot this year, but only Democrats signed up to compete for the open positions.

Voter turnout hovered around 37% this year compared to 2024, with 43%, and 2020, with 65%.

The voter pool for the primary election was already narrowed by limiting the County Council seats to districts instead of allowing at-large candidates, but the lack of any Republican candidates further slimmed the field. Registered Democrats living in District 4 or District 5 automatically received a ballot, but unaffiliated or Republican voters in those districts would have needed to request one weeks before Election Day.

Any voters living outside the boundaries of the two districts were ineligible to participate in the County Council race.

Interim Summit County Clerk Malena Stevens said voters were confused about the County Council process this year, with many residents asking questions about why they weren’t able to participate.

“I think all of that impacted voter turnout and the numbers that we saw,” Stevens said. “Looking at County Council races decided by 500 to 700 votes is something that we haven’t encountered before in this community.”

However, Republicans countywide still participated in the GOP primary to choose U.S. House District 3 and State House District 59 candidates, who will appear on the November ballot. Approximately 3,800 Republicans filled out and returned ballots to the Clerk’s Office, compared to 1,530 Democrats.

Stevens said turnout for Republicans and Democrats this year was lower than in 2024 and 2020, the most recent election cycles in which each held a primary. More than 5,000 Republicans and 2,600 Democrats voted in the 2024 primary, while 6,900 Republicans and 3,900 Democrats voted in the 2020 primary.

The presidential races in 2020 and 2024 inspired voter turnout, but Stevens said limiting the field with districts and changing mail-in ballot deadlines likely impacted this year’s election cycle.

However, Stevens said it’s still too early to attribute lower voter turnout numbers to just the county’s new districts because it will take a few election cycles to see the long-term effect of the change.

“I think it’ll be interesting … as we go through different cycles that have County Council candidates who are both Democrat and Republican,” Stevens said. “I don’t know exactly what that’s going to look like as we move forward, but I think it will be different when we have general contests versus primary contests for those reasons.”

Stevens said dozens of ballots were ineligible to be counted this year, too, because the state Legislature recently changed deadlines. Instead of requiring ballots be postmarked by 8 p.m. on Election Day, the Clerk’s Office now must have all ballots in hand by 8 p.m., meaning any ballots that arrived late were discounted.

Specifically, Stevens said 102 ballots were received after the 8 p.m. deadline.

“People have to opt-in to vote by mail starting in 2029, so they won’t automatically get a ballot,” Stevens said. “I think this is a community collaboration as to how we can best make sure that every person who is eligible has the opportunity to vote, not just in theory, but also practically, that they understand how to go about it and where.”

Local attorney Christie Babalis won the District 4 race with 436 votes, or 53%. Her competitor, John Kucera, was a former member of the Snyderville Basin Planning Commission and earned 386 votes, or 47%.

Incumbent and County Council Chair Canice Harte won his reelection bid in District 5 with 361 votes, or 51%. His challenger, Park City Board of Education President Meredith Reed, earned 346 votes, or 49%.

The Summit County Council canvassed the election on Tuesday and finalized the primary results.

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The Summit County Council race appears to have been determined in Tuesday’s primary election, with Democrats in District 4 and District 5 advancing to the November ballot without any Republican challengers.

However, write-in candidates may still qualify for the Election Day ballot, which could lead to a competitor for the two Democratic candidates.

Christie Babalis, a local attorney with experience in the outdoor recreation industry, garnered the most votes in District 4, which encompasses the Snyderville Basin area. Babalis earned 427 votes, or 53%, while John Kucera earned 378 votes, or 47%, based on preliminary results.

Kucera, who previously served on the Snyderville Basin Planning Commission from 2018 to 2024, said he’s excited for the candidates progressing to the Election Day ballot, calling the next four years “critical” for the Wasatch Back.

“I think they’re going to do a good job,” Kucera said. “Obviously, I would have liked the outcome to be different, but I don’t have any regrets. I worked hard. I tried to represent my message and differentiate where I could, and I think that’s all you can do.”

Babalis said it was an “honor” to be chosen by Summit County voters and that it was an “absolute privilege” to run her first political campaign and speak to so many residents who are passionate about local issues, like open space, growth and development.

“It’s almost surreal because when you sit on a board or when you work for a nonprofit, you have a little impact over a small group that’s helping on one issue,” Babalis said. “This is much broader, and my ability to have a positive impact is thrilling to me. I know it’s going to be a lot of work, and I’m really excited about it.”

Summit County Council Chair Canice Harte appears to have won his reelection bid for District 5, which encompasses Jeremy Ranch and Pinebrook, based on preliminary results. Harte earned 357 votes, or 51%, while Park City Board of Education President Meredith Reed earned 343 votes, or 49%, as of Friday morning.

Harte thanked Summit County voters for allowing him to serve a second term, saying there are a variety of issues, like preparation for the 2034 Winter Olympics or the county’s open space acquisitions, that he’s already deeply involved in and hopes to continue working on over the next four years.

He also said he was grateful to his supporters who helped him with his campaign, noting that he had to balance running for office while still serving as the County Council chair.

“I’ll get back to doing the work for the people of Summit County,” Harte said. “I’m representing my district, but I’m really representing the people of Summit County, our neighbors and our friends, so when I’m making decisions, I’m trying to make a very pragmatic decision that is in the best interest of as many people in the county as possible.”

Reed, whose term on the Park City school board ends in January, will no longer hold public office after seemingly losing the District 5 election. However, Reed said she expects to stay involved in local issues, although she said it’s too early for her to have any specifics about what her involvement may look like.

“I’m very proud of my campaign,” Reed said. “Talking to our voters and community is always a worthwhile endeavor as far as I’m concerned. But in the bigger picture, I wish more people understood how important these elections are. This is not a new phenomenon, but federal races get a lot of attention … and County Council, school board, local races, that’s the level of government that touches your life every single day.”

Republican voters in Summit County still had a primary, but there were no local offices on the ballot. Instead, they participated in two statewide races, determining which Republican candidate should advance to the Election Day ballot for the U.S. House District 3 race and the State House District 59 race.

Incumbent Celeste Maloy led the vote in Summit County in U.S. House District 3, earning 2,284 votes, or 62%, compared to challenger Phil Lyman’s 1,384 votes, or 38%, according to preliminary results.

Statewide, Maloy earned 66,582 votes, or 66%, while Lyman earned 34,660 votes, or 34%, meaning Maloy will progress to the general election in November.

Jeffrey Pierce appears to have won the State House District 59 race in Summit County, with 508 votes, or 67%. Luke Searle, his competitor, earned 252 votes, or 33%.

However, Searle earned more votes than Pierce statewide, with 3,361 votes, or 55%, while Pierce earned 2,736 votes, or 45%. Despite his loss in Summit County, Searle will likely be the Republican candidate to advance to the Election Day ballot.

Total voter turnout in Summit County was 36%.

Official results will be certified on July 7, two weeks after the primary. The general election takes place on Nov. 3.

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John Kucera has spent two decades of his life working as a financial analyst, balancing budgets, asking tough questions about business operations and proposing solutions for clients.

Now, he hopes to bring his expertise to a new arena — Summit County Council District 4.

“Whatever you want to do with a county initiative, regardless of what it is, it usually takes money,” Kucera said. “There are financial considerations, and those need to be evaluated. The better you do that, the more freedom you have and the more flexibility you have. … This is a critical part of getting anything done.”

Kucera, a Democrat, grew up in the Salt Lake Valley and studied finance at the University of Utah. After he graduated, Kucera moved to New York City and worked as a financial analyst before returning to Utah around 14 years ago to be closer to his family.

But instead of moving back to the Salt Lake area, Kucera settled in Summit County. He immediately fell in love with the local community, landscape and culture of the Wasatch Back, which he hopes to protect if elected to the County Council.

“I’m passionate about the community,” Kucera said. “We’re at a critical moment because, over the last five years, we’ve seen unprecedented growth pressures unlike anything we’ve seen before and an increasing financial complexity at the county level with an over $100 million budget, and I’m trying to bring a skillset that I think isn’t present on council with my financial background.”

Kucera previously served on the Snyderville Basin Planning Commission from 2018 to 2024, which gave him experience studying proposals, negotiating with developers and working with county officials.

Altus Park City in Kimball Junction, which was formerly referred to as the Dakota Pacific project, was the most notable proposal Kucera handled as a planning commissioner. He emphasized his track record of voting against the development as a sign of how he would handle growth on the County Council.

“The important thing is that we need to be planning for cumulative impacts,” Kucera said, referring to Altus Park City, the Utah Olympic Park expansion and the potential redevelopment of Junction Commons into a mixed-use neighborhood. “My approach is that these are complex problems, and we should not be doing things that we can’t undo, so smaller, more cautious, more incremental projects with redevelopment or a focus on existing entitlements is what I would be looking to do.”

Kucera said he was partly inspired to run for County Council because of his desire to conserve open space. He said he didn’t want the county’s accelerated growth to come at the expense of the natural environment, which is why so many people visit or move to the Wasatch Back.

“The natural environment is our most critical asset,” Kucera said. “The wildlife, the natural beauty, water, those things are so important to both the economic interests of the Wasatch Back, but also to our quality of life and what makes it such a great place that we live in.”

He said his love of open space is why he favors redevelopment over new housing complexes, adding that there is a “tremendous opportunity” for developers to transform the Snyderville Basin into a more affordable, pedestrian-friendly community without creating dozens of new projects.

“I still come back to the idea that there are many urban environments and very few vibrant mountain towns,” Kucera said. “I would like to focus on that vibrant mountain town feel as opposed to overurbanization. Let’s build on the asphalt that’s already existing and allow rights that are already being used to be used better for things like affordable housing.”

Kucera said he would approach being on the County Council through a “lens of risk mitigation,” balancing the negatives of a project or proposal with its benefits and other impacts it would have on the community. He also committed to transparent communication with residents, saying county councilors need to be able to explain the rationale behind decisions, whether the community is in favor of the proposal or not.

“We have an incredible opportunity to do more and to do better,” he said. “Residents have, at times, not felt heard. … I’m a person who likes more information than less information, so I want to hear all views. I want to try to distill it into what I ultimately think will best serve the residents, but I absolutely want to hear and represent this community and engage with them.”

Kucera is also interested in working on the county’s $100 million budget, saying a property tax raise “should be an absolute last priority” because the county likely has opportunities to increase its financial efficiency before officials would need to ask for more funding.

“It’s a healthy process for every organization to be challenged,” Kucera said. “Businesses and residents are really feeling that affordability pressure right now, and we need to be very sensitive to that. We can do more with less. … I wouldn’t be in favor of any massive or wholesale cuts, but I think we need to challenge each department and ask where we have the opportunity to narrow our focus, but also redirect some of those resources so we’re not having to raise taxes and put an additional burden on residents.”

Information on Kucera and his campaign is available at john4council.com. He will face Christie Babalis, a Snyderville Basin attorney, in the Democratic primary on June 23. Residents voting by mail or using a dropbox must make sure their ballot is received by 8 p.m. on June 23 for their vote to count due to recent changes in state law.

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Christie Babalis grew up in the Salt Lake Valley near the base of Parley’s Canyon, often sneaking away in her parents’ car to make the 15-minute drive to Park City, where she would shirk her teenage responsibilities in favor of a hike or ski run.

Now, more than 30 years later, Babalis is hoping to add to her responsibilities by running for the District 4 seat on the Summit County Council, with a focus on conservation to protect the natural environment she fell in love with as a child.

Her love of the outdoors sparked an early passion for politics, and Babalis was a fervent reader of Edward Abbey, an environmental essayist, by the time she graduated from high school. She described herself as “obsessed” with learning about water conservation, the Colorado River and sustainability, which led her to advocate for environmental issues in front of state lawmakers when she was still a student in high school.

Babalis’ friends and family encouraged her to become an attorney because of her passion for policy issues and ability to succinctly argue her position, and Babalis listened. She obtained a master’s degree in public administration before enrolling in the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah.

Law school opened another door for Babalis, too, who started working as a clerk for the Park City Attorney’s Office in the 1990s. The job allowed her to move permanently to the Wasatch Back, where she has lived for the past three decades.

Babalis, a Democrat, has been involved in the local Snyderville Basin community for years, serving on boards for Recycle Utah, Park City Ski and Snowboard and the Image Reborn Foundation. But this year, Babalis is angling for another type of community involvement — a run for the District 4 seat on the Summit County Council.

“This is the next thing that I’d like to try to do to be of service to this community because it’s my community, and I care about all of these things,” Babalis said. “There are people who I’ve known for so long, my friends and my coworkers. It’s my home and the place where I raised my kids.”

County Attorney Margaret Olson encouraged Babalis to run in addition to county councilors Tonja Hanson and Chris Robinson, whom Babalis would replace if she were to win.

“They felt like my experience with negotiating complicated problems, bringing parties together who don’t always see eye-to-eye, my business background and my governance background meant I had the right skills to run,” Babalis said. “There are so many big issues facing us, and they’re complicated issues that require real leadership, and I’ve been an executive leader for a long time.”

Babalis said she views growth and development as the most pressing issue for Summit County, with much of the pressure centered in the heart of her district because it includes Kimball Junction.

“There’s a constant balance here, and we have to get it right because we’re going to continue to grow,” she said. “We’re going to need to develop, and it’s a balance between that need and the parts of this community … that draw people here, keep people here and why we want to be here.”

She advocated for long-term planning at the county level, saying it’s important for officials to consider the implications a project will have for the area in the next 25 years, not only the immediate future. She also said the County Council should make an effort to communicate directly with residents when there are big proposals, pointing to deliberations over Altus Park City, formerly known as the Dakota Pacific project, and the tension it caused between the County Council and residents who were struggling to understand the process.

“I don’t think the community understood how big it was and how bad it could potentially become until it was too late,” Babalis said. “A lot of folks in the county would say that what we ended up with has a lot of great community benefits, but I don’t know that we ended up with enough community benefits for what we had to give up. Even still, the transparency was lacking, in my opinion.”

Babalis said the County Council needs to establish good relationships with state lawmakers before the general session starts, allowing councilors and the Legislature to collaborate and communicate about Wasatch Back issues instead of only interacting in times of tension, especially because any state mandates would automatically overrule local decisions.

However, Babalis said she favors redevelopment and open space conservation instead of new development projects. Kimball Junction in particular has a lot of redevelopment opportunities that she said could transform the area from a “massive parking lot” into a community center where people live, dine, shop and socialize.

“There’s already infrastructure, so we don’t have to spend a ton of money on roads,” she said. “We can take what we’ve already built and make it better. Every time we’re looking at a new development, we have to also factor in affordable housing.”

Babalis said the true price of affordable housing in Summit County needs to be part of the broader discussion among officials, too. Most developers suggest prices around 80% area median income, or AMI, when they propose affordable housing units, but a studio apartment at 80% AMI in Summit County would be between $2,360 and $2,950, which is actually higher than the $1,700 market rate value, according to the Summit County Housing Authority.

“That AMI percentage isn’t always the right calculation, so we need to look at who needs to live here? Who are these units for? Who do we need to find housing for and what can they afford?” Babalis said. “Then we need to actually build that and not ask people to try to figure out what they’re going to give up to be able to live in this community.”

Information on Babalis and her campaign is available at votebabalis.com. She will face John Kucera, a financial analyst and former Snyderville Basin planning commissioner, in the Democratic primary on June 23. Residents voting by mail or using a dropbox must make sure their ballot is received by 8 p.m. on June 23 for their vote to count due to recent changes in state law.

The post Christie Babalis focuses on open space, affordability in run for Summit County Council appeared first on Park Record.

Summit County Council Chair Canice Harte is seeking reelection in District 5, saying he hopes another four years will give him time to complete projects started in his first term, especially those involving open space acquisitions and affordable housing.

“Being able to make legislative and policy decisions that help the people of Summit County is what motivates me,” Harte said. “I certainly have a lot of work that I’m in the middle of right now. I’m very actively involved in our open space, the Olympics in 2034 and our transportation, so when we look at the projects going on in Summit County, I’m leading on a good portion of those.”

Harte, a Democrat, is originally from California. He relocated to Summit County in 2006 for work. He’s had experience in sales, marketing and owning a business, with most of his career focused on outdoor industries. Harte said having a background in business is especially helpful in his role on the County Council because councilors often explore financing tools, analyze development proposals and balance the budget, all of which is similar to running a business but at a larger scale.

Before he was elected to the County Council in 2022, Harte served on the Snyderville Basin Planning Commission for 8 years. He said his terms as a planning commissioner provided him with valuable experience, estimating that 30% to 40% of the County Council’s responsibilities involve land use decisions.

Harte also worked to draft an updated Snyderville Basin General Plan as a planning commissioner, which he said was advantageous when he transitioned to the County Council because he was already intimately familiar with the document.

“I love Summit County, and I love everything about our community,” Harte said about his decision to run for County Council four years ago. “My wife and I decided that we want to stay here forever and raise our family, so being involved is something that I was motivated to do. … I recognized that on the County Council, I could weigh in and make decisions in areas that you’re limited on as a planning commissioner.”

Harte said he hopes residents understand the value of having a councilor with one term under their belt, saying the first four years are largely devoted to building relationships and finding your footing. He said the second term is when councilors can “really hit the ground running.”

However, Harte acknowledged that his first term wasn’t always easy and spoke about his vote to approve the Dakota Pacific project, now called Altus Park City. He pointed out his track record of voting against the development when he was a planning commissioner and said he only voted in favor of the project once it became clear that the state Legislature would get involved.

“We had been doing well (fighting it) up until that point, so once the state interfered and made it happen, we knew something was going to physically be built there, so we had to pivot,” he said. “If this is going to happen to us, even against our will, how do we try to get the most out of it?”

Harte said the County Council tried to negotiate to the best of its ability, advocating for a new transit center, library space and other amenities to benefit Summit County residents in addition to pushing for fewer overall units and more affordable housing.

“I think the original proposal had 1,100 units of housing, but we got it down to 725,” he said. “The total project is 55% affordable, so we were fighting it as long as we could, but … we can’t stop it, so let’s try to make the best of it.”

He said Summit County residents who are concerned about growth are actually seeing older projects come to fruition and that the County Council has largely been cautious in approving new developments. But the county still needs some development, especially to boost affordable housing numbers, which should be balanced with the community’s love of open spaces and the natural environment, Harte said.

“We can use open space bond money to secure open space and focus affordable housing on infill projects, areas that are already densified and ideally have a grocery store or transit station nearby,” he said. “It’s a challenge because every time we acquire open space, which we all love and want, we drive housing prices up. The more you limit the ability for housing, the more desirable that housing is because it’s surrounded by beautiful open space.”

Harte touted his work to establish the Summit County Housing Authority, which is run by a board of Summit County residents and two county councilors. Harte doesn’t sit on the board himself, but he spearheaded the organization alongside Park City Councilor Tana Toly before it became exclusively a county project.

He also pointed to his financial track record with the county, including collaboration with other councilors and county officials to balance the $100 million budget. Harte said Summit County hasn’t had a property tax increase in almost 10 years, and he would not support a tax raise.

“We don’t need to think about (a tax increase) for a long time to come because we just benefitted from the emergency services sales tax, which the voters approved,” he said. “It’s worked out wonderfully. It’s going directly to emergency services, and it’s taken a lot of pressure off the general fund.”

Harte said he will “not be voting for a property tax increase” as a county councilor, adding that he hopes voters recognize the progress the county has made over the last few years and give him an opportunity to finish the projects he’s started.

“I’m in place, I’m doing good work and I’m ready to go,” he said.

Information on Harte and his campaign is available at votecanice.com. He will face Park City Board of Education President Meredith Reed in the Democratic primary on June 23. Residents voting by mail or using a dropbox must make sure their ballot is received by 8 p.m. on June 23 for their vote to count due to recent changes in state law.

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Meredith Reed has spent her adult life serving the public, and she doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon.

From her first stint as a U.S. Air Force chaplain to her latest role as the president of the Park City Board of Education, Reed has made an effort to connect with others, pursue leadership positions and advocate for transparency. She’s now hoping to continue her service in a new arena as she campaigns for the District 5 seat on the Summit County Council.

Reed, a Democrat, grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina, listening to her father’s stories about his time as a U.S. Marine. Her family’s history of military service inspired her to join the Air Force as a chaplain after she graduated from college, which is how she met her husband.

The two bounced from place to place for years because of their jobs and spent time in Washington, D.C., Belgium and other parts of Europe before a fateful two-year contract brought the pair to Utah in 2009. They spent time in the Salt Lake Valley trying to find a rental home, but nothing caught their attention until someone suggested they look in the Park City area.

It was love at first sight for Reed, who eventually convinced her husband that the family should buy a house and plan to return permanently after his retirement. It took six years, with Reed and her children spending summers in Summit County whenever possible, before another assignment brought Reed’s husband back to Utah in 2017 — and the family has stayed ever since.

“If we hadn’t bought our house then, I don’t think we would have been able to move here later on,” Reed said. “I’m very grateful that we had that opportunity.”

Housing affordability is important to Reed, who pointed to her own experience buying a home before prices increased exponentially after the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as her second career as a real estate agent. She said it’s key for the County Council to focus on home ownership in affordable housing discussions, not just rental units.

“This isn’t to cast dispersions on renters, but if it’s not your place and you’re not getting the benefits of ownership, it can be easy to say, ‘Well, this isn’t that important to me,’” Reed said. “They aren’t planted or invested or feeling like they’re getting the benefits of ownership and what this community has to offer, so when we include deed-restricted ownership in our affordable housing offerings, I think that’s really important.”

Reed said the county also needs to provide more options for seniors, who could be priced out of the Wasatch Back after retirement depending on their housing costs, as well as analyze what affordability means in Summit County. She said an individual may work in the county and earn a decent salary, but the price of homes often outpaces what a typical commuter could afford.

“I think the answer is partially reliant on density, so that we’re increasing our density of expanding into open space,” Reed said, adding that she favored redevelopment projects, like the current Junction Commons proposal, over new, large-scale developments.

But Reed said it’s important to not discount the benefits that affordable housing projects bring, mentioning the Dakota Pacific development in Kimball Junction, now called Altus Park City, as a potential positive for the county despite its controversial route to approval.

“I am not in favor of legislative overreach,” Reed said. “How the project happened is not how I want to see things happen here … but it’s happening, so given that we are getting that project, I believe that there are very good things coming with that.”

Specifically, Reed mentioned the new transit center, library and amphitheater associated with Altus Park City, saying the development has the chance to create a sense of community in the Kimball Junction area. She acknowledged there will likely be a difficult adjustment for current residents, but she said the property is already located in a developed part of the county, which is better than building a new project on open space.

Reed said development in general is the biggest challenge facing District 5 and Summit County at large, which is why she supports increasing densities in urban parts of the county instead of encouraging sprawl. She also called open space one of Summit County’s key assets, saying the County Council needs to continue purchasing and conserving empty parcels to maintain the rural atmosphere and sweeping views that bring people to the area.

“We need to keep growth where we think it makes sense and where it works instead of undoing the things that we love about our community, our open space and our environment,” Reed said.

In addition to her time in the military, Reed worked as a government contractor to support veterans, a role that gave her experience advocating, listening and communicating with others in an official capacity. She also pointed to her time on the Park City Board of Education during a tumultuous period as an example of her leadership, saying the work board members have done to increase transparency and residents’ faith in the school board has given her valuable insight into the importance of local government and efficient communication.

“It’s such a great demonstration of how effective and positive change can happen when we communicate well and we’re aligned with our values and what we’re hoping to see in our outcomes,” Reed said. “We had a disconnect previously and … there was a lot of mess along the way, but I think it really required staying focused.”

Information on Reed and her campaign is available at reedforsummitcounty.com. She will face incumbent and current County Council Chair Canice Harte in the Democratic primary on June 23. Residents voting by mail or using a dropbox must make sure their ballot is received by 8 p.m. on June 23 for their vote to count due to recent changes in state law.

The post Meredith Reed touts school board experience, work with veterans in campaign for Summit County Council appeared first on Park Record.

Summit County Council candidates in districts 4 and 5 shared their philosophies on how to control development, prioritize open space, and address affordability issues along the Wasatch Back during a candidate forum on Tuesday.

The Park Record and KPCW on Monday co-hosted the forum at the Richins Building in the Snyderville Basin, a key area of the county for both districts because of its traffic impacts and economic importance on bordering neighborhoods.

Specifically, District 4 encompasses the central Snyderville Basin area while District 5 covers Pinebrook, Jeremy Ranch and Summit Park. All four County Council candidates in the primary election — Christie Babalis and John Kucera in District 4 and Meredith Reed and incumbent Canice Harte in District 5 — participated in the forum.

All four candidates are Democrats. No Republican candidates are running for a County Council seat this year.

District 4

Christie Babalis, an attorney with almost 30 years of experience in the legal field, said she’s running for County Council because she cares about the local community she’s lived in for the past three decades. She decided to run after being encouraged by Chris Robinson, a longtime county councilor who announced he would not seek reelection for the first time since 2008.

“I am faced with complex issues every day where there are competing interests, two parties that don’t necessarily want the same thing and where there are long-term consequences,” Babalis said. “I bring those parties together, and I find solutions to the problems when there isn’t always a great answer and the solution isn’t always going to make both parties happy. That’s what I do every day of my life, and that’s what the council does.”

Babalis emphasized her ability to negotiate as an important factor in how she would handle growth and development in Summit County. She noted the county government is somewhat limited in its freedom if the state Legislature decides to become involved in a local issue, which is why she said she would focus on building relationships with state lawmakers.

She also said one of her main priorities is the preservation of open space, advocating for conservation on open space parcels instead of creating miles of recreational trails. Babalis specifically said she had some concerns about the 910 Cattle Ranch because it could bring hundreds of visitors from the Salt Lake Valley to the 8,500-acre parcel in Jeremy Ranch, which could disturb wildlife and add to the area’s traffic problems.

Babalis commented on the County Council’s goal to have 1,500 affordable housing units by 2035, too, saying she thinks councilors need to consider the price of a truly affordable home in an affluent community like Summit County, which is now also dominated by nightly rentals.

“Who can actually afford to live in those affordable units?” Babalis said. “There are a lot of different definitions of what’s affordable, and it depends on the jobs that people have who work here, and we need to use deed restrictions and other means to truly make the housing that we do have proposed affordable and bring the people who work so that they’re able to live in this community.”

John Kucera, a former Snyderville Basin Planning Commissioner with 20 years of experience as a financial analyst, said his biggest concern for the Wasatch Back is the preservation of open space, which he thinks will help the county direct growth and development in addition to protecting vital wildlife habitats.

“Like so many of you, I’m here for the outdoor environment, the natural beauty and wildlife,” Kucera said. “I think it’s special and unique, and it is absolutely worth fighting for.”

Kucera repeatedly called for a slower approach to growth and development in Summit County, saying he would prefer to analyze the economic and environmental impacts of new proposals and approve projects incrementally. He touted his track record on the Snyderville Basin Planning Commission, pointing to his votes against the Highland Flats development and Dakota Pacific project, now called Altus Park City.

He also said affordable housing is a nationwide issue, especially in ski resort towns, and that the County Council should focus on existing entitlements before approving more projects.

“We have millions of square feet that are entitled. We have an opportunity to shape those, improve those and affect affordable housing,” Kucera said. “We can increase the number of units and lower the (area median income) so that people making less money have an opportunity to live here and we have a complete community. Fundamentally, that is taking a cautious and incremental approach.”

District 5

Meredith Reed, a real estate agent and president of the Park City Board of Education, said she’s running for the County Council seat because the Wasatch Back needs strong leadership to guide the county in a time of change and growth. She said the county can balance development and open space preservation, but only if those in charge are committed to thoughtful solutions.

Reed specifically said Altus Park City has the potential to benefit the local community despite widespread pushback from Summit County residents over the location and scope of the project.

“It has a lot of really good components that benefit our community, to include a new transportation center, a new library, public gathering spaces, access to public transportation that will improve the traffic flow here,” she said.

Reed also said she wants the county to invest in and protect open space, which is why she thinks redevelopment projects, like the current proposal to turn Junction Commons into a mixed-use neighborhood, are a better solution to Summit County’s affordable housing issues than building new apartment complexes.

“I would also add that it needs to not just be rentals,” Reed said. “We need to have deed-restricted ownership of housing as well.”

Incumbent Canice Harte, the current chair of the County Council and a deputy for the Summit County Sheriff’s Office, said he’s running because he’s proud of the work he’s done so far, especially the acquisition of the 910 Cattle Ranch.

“Public service has been a guiding principle throughout my adult life,” Harte said. “I believe elected office is about listening and working hard for the people you represent. … I’ve worked to protect open space, preserve our quality of life and address some of the county’s most important challenges.”

Harte spoke about his experience with Altus Park City while on the County Council, saying councilors had to pivot to negotiating with the developer to create a project manageable for the Wasatch Back after it became evident that the state Legislature wouldn’t side with the county government. He emphasized his ability to navigate tough situations with developers and build relationships with state lawmakers in addition to his passion for preserving open space.

“We must continue protecting open space and preserving the rural character of Summit County,” Harte said. “We must continue improving transportation and reducing congestion so residents can spend less time in traffic and more time with their families and communities, and we must remain responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars while delivering the services our residents expect.”

He also touched on affordable housing, echoing Kucera’s sentiments that the county should evaluate what it has available now and reject any new proposals until Altus Park City, the Utah Olympic Park expansion and Cline Dahle projects are completed, as well as the Junction Commons redevelopment, if approved by the County Council.

“You can’t just ignore buildings that are going up. You have to look at the whole picture,” Harte said. “Fundamentally, in the General Plan … it says let’s not give any new entitlements until we draw down on the density that’s already been given out, and that’s what we need to stay focused on. I helped craft that in the General Plan, and I still stand by it.”

How to vote in the primary election

Primary election ballots were mailed to voters on June 2. All four candidates are running as Democrats. The local Democratic Party holds an open primary, meaning registered voters may request a ballot regardless of their political affiliation. The deadline to request a ballot is June 12.

Election Day is June 23. Residents voting by mail or using a dropbox must make sure their ballot is received by 8 p.m. on June 23 for their vote to count due to recent changes in state law.

Information on the primary election in Summit County is available at summitcountyutah.gov/2661/Election-FAQ.

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