Jack Rubin for Park City Mayor

Above: Santy Auditorium, Park City, UT. 15 October 2025
Mayor candidate forum hosted by KPCW.
Ryan Dickie and Jack Rubin, candidates for Mayor of Park City, UT.

City Councilman and mayoral candidate Ryan Dickie said in his opening remarks that Park City is better than 99% of other places to live in the US. True. But that doesn't mean that there are not vulnerabilities looking forward. There is a colorable argument that Park City leadership over the last few years has lost focus on preserving Park City's 99% level vitality in a rapidly changing political and economic environment.

To wit:

Park City tourist tax revenues are down by 10%.

Park City has lost the Sundance Film Festival and the Kimball Arts center.

Park City Canyons to the north (Summit County) and Deer Valley East Village (Wasatch County) to the southeast, fabulous projects both, represent real economic threats to Park City as a destination for tourists and skiers. There is no convincing, consensus strategy coming from Park City leadership to mitigate, or even piggyback onto, these twin economic threats.

A ski patrol strike at Park City Mountain Resort (PCMR) and associated disruption last ski season significantly tarnished PCMR's reputation while Park City leadership stood helplessly by watching from the sidelines.

Park City resident Tom Jacobson, Commissioner, Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), recently told a group of LSDM ROMEOs that Park City's reputation with UDOT is at an all-time low. Said Jacobson, "$30 billion has been allocated for Utah transportation projects over the next ten years. Park City is nowhere on the $30 billion list."

Nor is Park City's relationship with other external state, county and municipal entities strong. As one LSDM ROMEO recently put it, "Park City needs to start waltzing and not wrestling with its state and regional partners." I remember a day when former mayor Dana Williams could pick up a phone and call Utah Senator Orrin Hatch, and expect that Hatch would pick up the phone. Those days are long gone.

A five-acre city owned property with significant tax generation possibilities, most recently known as Bonanza Park, has been in the "pending file" for the last nine years as city officials (I'm reminded of the movie Groundhog Day) repeatedly draw up and discard a myriad of minimal tax generating affordable housing, parks, and arts district plans.

Current Park City leadership, including Mayor candidate Ryan Dickie, opting for a sub-optimal buildout at Clark Ranch, disdains consideration of Richardson Flats as potential to alleviate housing shortages and traffic solutions and to generate tax generating solutions. Candidate Rubin has expressed support for serious exploration of the Richardson Flats option.

Yes. Park City is 99% better than other living options in America. But there are warning signs on the horizon. A strong case can be made that Park City, having not effectively faced up to future threats, is in need of defibrillation.

I believe Park City needs, now more than ever, a leader who is highly experienced in dealing with complex issues and strategic planning at the highest levels. We need a leader not tied to past mistakes and management shortcomings. We need a leader who is long on vision. That's why I'm casting my vote for Jack Rubin, for Mayor of Park City.