Park City Councilor Steve Joyce has endorsed Thaynes Canyon resident Jeremy Rubell in the crowded race for city council.
Joyce announced in March he would not seek a second term on city council, leaving fellow Councilor Tim Henney as the lone incumbent in the race for Park City’s two open seats.
Eight people ultimately filed as candidates and Joyce chose local consultant Rubell as his pick for the council through a post on his personal Facebook page late Wednesday, marking the first high-profile endorsement of the campaign.
“For anyone in Park City looking for a city council candidate who will ask the hard questions and challenge the final spending, Jeremy is my choice,” wrote Joyce.
Joyce added he was impressed with the 41-year-old Rubell’s hard work during the campaign so far, as well as his thoughtful questions.
Joyce told KPCW he thinks every council needs at least one person willing to be a more fiscally conservative voice, a role Joyce has been known to fill during his time in office. He said he saw that same willingness in Rubell.
“Once I announced that I wasn’t running, I had some number of people that were kind and came up and said, ‘thanks for your service, but we’ll miss you because of the unique view you bring onto the existing council,’” Joyce said. “I’ve met with Jeremy a number of times. He’s asked me lots of questions, shared his opinions on things, I’ve asked him lots of questions. He’s been working really hard and I got comfortable that for someone who is interested in someone, I won’t call it take my space, but to kind of fill the role that I had played on the existing council, I think he’s the best choice.”
Joyce said he has met with several other council candidates since the start of the campaign and would be open to endorsing a second name later in the summer.
“In all likelihood, I’ll get further into the campaign and I’ll back somebody else,” he said. “You know, I’m going to vote for two people and I’m happy to share that with folks.”
In a written statement to KPCW, Rubell called Joyce an asset to Park City that will be missed on the council and said he’s honored Joyce sees him as a good fit for the role.
KPCW reached out to the other candidates for their reaction. Most did not comment. John Greenfield, who is also running, expressed disappointment a sitting councilor would endorse a candidate so soon into the campaign. Daniel Lewis said he would be happy to have an endorsement from Joyce as well.
A primary will be held on August 10th in order to reduce the eight-person field to four ahead of November’s municipal election.
Other candidates in the race include Henney, Greenfield, Lewis, Michael Franchek, Tana Toly, Jamison Brandi, and Thomas Purcell.
