Tanya Brady, Brian Cooper, J.D. Cronin and Doug Silver are the four candidates on the ballot for Hideout Town Council this November.
Voters will choose two of them.
At a forum Sept. 30 hosted by the Wasatch Back chapter of the League of Women Voters, the candidates shared their vision for the town with about 60 residents.
Commercial development is a top issue for the town, which currently has no restaurants, grocery store or shopping.
Candidate Tanya Brady could not attend the event, but she shared a statement that an event moderator read aloud to the room.
The longtime attorney said her priorities are managing Hideout’s growth, promoting financial health and investing in community amenities.
“We need access to basic goods without driving to Park City or Kamas,” she wrote. “Beyond convenience, commercial development is essential to diversify revenue and ease the tax burden.”
Several candidates referenced Hideout’s recent annexation of 350 acres of Richardson Flat in Summit County. Leaders have said they envision creating a town center on the land, with shopping, dining and retail.
Doug Silver, a retired educator, said he’s running because he wants to give back to the town and promote transparency. He said ongoing community input is essential for development that benefits all Hideout residents.
“What would that engagement look like?” he said. “It wouldn’t be an event. It would be a process, would be a series of conversations, would be a series of meetings, would be a series of development and review prior to building approval.”
He also said the town needs to get better at enforcing its building standards.
J.D. Cronin, a consultant who’s serving as an interim town councilmember, agreed. He said it’s essential for Hideout leaders to “be firm with” developers as the town continues to grow.
“Right now, the developers have the upper hand, and we’ve let them kind of ascend to this spot where they’re dictating terms to us,” he said.
Cronin said he’s running because he wants to see the town handle its budget better.
Brian Cooper, a retired engineer, is running on a platform of strong infrastructure and responsible spending. He said Hideout leaders should be thinking beyond Richardson Flat for commercial development, pointing to Wildhorse, Ross Creek and land near the town hall as possibilities.
“We should be pursuing all of these opportunities in a coordinated, strategic fashion, rather than as individual one-offs,” he said.
He said leaders must also consider the number of seasonal residents and understand what businesses will survive in Hideout.
In addition to the future of development, candidates discussed how to foster a stronger community identity and how they have contributed to the town.
Hideout’s roughly 600 active voters will also choose a mayor this November. Interim mayor Ralph Severini and councilmember Chris Baier are in the race.
Details about all the candidates are available at vote.utah.gov.
