Park City officially has a new mayor and city council.
After winning their respective elections last November, Nann Worel was sworn in as the city’s first female mayor on Tuesday afternoon at Bob Wells Plaza in front of City Hall, along with new city councilors Tana Toly and Jeremy Rubell.
Originally planned to be held indoors at the Park City Library’s Jim Santy Auditorium, COVID-19 precautions led to a last-minute change of venue.
About 100 supporters braved the cold and snow, many bearing white roses to commemorate Worel as the city’s first woman to hold the title of mayor. Attendees said many of them were planning on wearing white for the occasion, but the snowy weather made them opt for roses instead. White is commonly associated with the women’s suffrage movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
As the snow lifted, Worel, Toly, and Rubell were quickly sworn in shortly after 4pm by Summit County District Court Judge Shauna Kerr. Worel thanked her supporters during the campaign and pledged what she called “unprecedented transparency” in city government during her tenure.
“Under my leadership, I welcome everyone to the table and hope we can come together as Parkites, and move forward with a firm commitment to listen and learn from each other," said Worel. "Before you today, I commit to the following: I commit to unprecedented transparency in our decision making. I commit to maintain a local government that listens, and then leads. I commit to receive and address community concerns with care and the compassion they deserve. I commit to approach our ambitious goals as collaborations, as partners, and as equals.”
Rubell is a relative newcomer to public life in Park City and said many people thought he was crazy to run for office as a virtual unknown. During his remarks, he committed to achieving outcomes the community can easily see while he is in office.
“We need to curb some of the commercialization that’s happening in our neighborhoods – really protect our future," Rubell said. "People are stressed out. We’re behind the curve a little bit and we need to show measurable results through action.”
Toly, on the other hand, is a fifth-generation Parkite and co-owner of Main Street’s Red Banjo Pizza. She had been heavily involved with the Historic Park City Alliance before running for office, and served on several other local business and restaurant boards and committees.
Toly called on Park City to set ambitious goals for 2022.
“What has worked in the past is not going to work in the future," said Toly. "We must collaborate and lead ourselves in new ways. Let’s put our stretch goals to the test this year.”
The ceremony was also filled with condolences and expressions of support for Worel. She announced late last week that she and her husband, Mike, lost their only child, Christopher, to a non-COVID-19 related infection on December 30th. Worel closed her remarks by reflecting on the night of the election, when Christopher was there with her to celebrate.
“I looked at those pictures recently, and there were people of all ages in that group, standing side by side with people of different ethnicities, different gender identities, different faiths, all celebrating together," she said. "There were people of significant means standing shoulder to shoulder with residents here who are struggling to be able to live here. And there were people who have lived here for generations standing next to people that are newcomers, and helping them feel welcome. That is who we are as a community, and I am so proud to lead it. Today, let’s celebrate the future of Park City, because it belongs to all of us. I can tell you, in my entire career, I have never been more excited to get down to work.”
The first council meeting with Mayor Worel and Councilors Toly and Rubell will be this Thursday, January 6th. Worel and the new council will also be appointing someone to serve out the remaining two years of Worel’s council term on January 13th.
