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Dana deserves four more years

PR

When it comes to examples of civic activism, Park City Mayor Dana Williams is an excellent role model. The news that no one wanted to run against him in this year’s municipal election was no surprise — his would be a hard act to follow. Williams first earned constituents’ respect with years of active participation in government affairs — from the outside. As one of the founders of Citizens Allied for Responsible Growth, he pressed previous council members into keeping the public’s desire for open space and access in the forefront of the negotiations with developers. In so doing, he demonstrated how dedicated citizens can impact enormous decisions just by staying involved. Williams taught the same lesson to local youngsters by campaigning for a city skate park. Despite numerous setbacks, the youth who got involved in the process eventually saw the creation of a hugely popular facility. In an era when many have become cynical about the democratic process and few are willing to participate in local elections, Williams’ success is reason for optimism. This newspaper earlier lamented that Williams did not have an opponent this fall because we were hoping for a vigorous debate. At the same time, we expressed our admiration for the hands-on role that Williams has played in his first term of office. True to form, even though he was unopposed, Williams participated throughout the campaign demonstrating a sophisticated grasp of a multitude of issues. Our hope for future elections, whether municipal, county or statewide is that those who have strong convictions about how their government should be run will not hesitate to become active — whether by organizing a watchdog group or by running for office. Tuesday’s low voter turnout in Park City, may have been routine for a virtually uncontested municipal election, but it may also be a sign of an apathetic citizenry that doesn’t feel vested in the community. While we are pleased to see Williams assume the mayor’s mantle for another four years we will continue to urge residents to become more active in their local government.

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