The longtime Summit County resident is the treasurer of the North Summit Fire District, where he’s worked to turn around the fire station’s finances over the past two years.
The embattled fire district suspended all its firefighters in February 2022, saying they refused to respond to calls for service, including critical situations.
Ioannides said he’s worked to transform the fire district into a professional organization.
“We made some tough choices with regard to raising taxes,” he said. “But now you’ve got a fire district that’s responding to calls in seven minutes, which is crazy, and is embarking on the task of also providing EMS services now that Park City decided not to do it.”
A tax increase approved at the end of 2022 quadrupled the North Summit Fire District’s budget from $500,000 to $2 million, helping the department transition from a volunteer model to a roster of paid firefighters.
Ioannides is a lifelong Republican who said he’s campaigning to bring bipartisan collaboration to the county council.
“I think there are some people in the county who may feel like there hasn’t been a voice on the county council for them,” he said. “Having a common-sense Republican stand up in the county and represent all the people so that folks feel like they have a voice there – I think it’s important.”
He said he wants to address housing and transportation challenges across the county as a councilmember.
Prior to his tenure at the North Summit Fire District, Ioannides served as the executive director of the Park City Institute and the chair of the board of Recycle Utah.
Ioannides is originally from Georgia. He ran for the board of education when he first moved to Summit County and was not elected.
He is the second Republican to join the field of candidates for Summit County Council.
Housing advocate Megan McKenna, LGBTQ+ advocate Cami Richardson, former Francis mayor Byron Ames, Snyderville Basin Planning Commissioner Thomas Cooke, and incumbents Roger Armstrong and Tonja Hanson are also running.
The general election is Nov. 5.
