With three seats up for election on the Park City Council, a variety of Park City residents have jumped into the race, including Prospector resident and community organizer Deanna Rhodes.
Rhodes works two jobs—one at Starbucks, one at No-Name Saloon—and she also does work with LGBTQ advocacy group Equality Utah to mobilize the Wasatch Back. She organized transportation for the Women’s March in Park City, has worked at the Park City Community Foundation and was most recently appointed to the Park City Police Complaint Review Committee. Rhodes moved to Park City four years ago on a whim and says, as soon as she arrived, she could tell it was a community, which is why she wants to participate at all different levels.
“Nobody came to me and gave me the opportunities," Rhodes said. "I just really started showing up, and when you start showing up you can have a voice, and you can get involved and you can really connect with other people and so I think that's what I bring to the table and why I'm in the race”
Rhodes says one issue she’s been hearing about from the community is that, even though Park City is a small town, neighbors don’t know each other. Rhodes says that disconnect plays into the City Council’s social equity priority and could be addressed with simple solutions.
“Let’s have a block party, you know, let's let's do things that can really encourage the different HOAs and the different neighborhoods to do that," Rhodes said. "I don't think there is lack of interest—I think that they just need a little bit of help, whether that's a little bit of help with permitting the street to shut it down for a couple of hours, or if that's maybe some resources to help put that on, or communication avenues to get that out.”
Seven Park City residents, including Rhodes, have filed declarations of candidacy: current City Councilmembers Becca Gerber and Nann Worel; Max Doilney; Daniel Lewis; Chadwick Fairbanks III; and Ed Parigian.
Because there are seven candidates for only three open seats, a primary election will take place on August 13 to remove one candidate from the running, sending six to the November 5 general election.
