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Andy Beerman leads fundraising, backed by ex-Salt Lake mayors

Mayoral candidates draw broad financial support as the primary nears

by Jay Hamburger
THE PARK RECORD

Andy Beerman, a Park City Councilor campaigning for the mayor’s office for the second time, topped the field in fundraising, collecting $22,347 in cash and donated services, according to a financial report submitted to City Hall as the Tuesday primary election approached.

The campaign by the Aug. 7 submittal had cost $5,517.20 in cash and donated services, Beerman said in the filing, leaving his campaign with a balance of nearly $17,000 that could be used in the final days of the primary season and in the general election if he advances to Election Day in November.

Beerman received two $5,000 contributions, his largest. One was made by Dick and Susan Roth while the other was made by Ben and Paige Andersen. Both of the couples have addresses in the Park City area. Beerman said the Roths are friends, and Dick Roth and himself helped form an environmental not-for-profit organization. He said he met the Andersens at a campaign event. Beerman said lots of the campaign contributors offered money unsolicited and his own fundraising efforts were limited.

“I think most of my donations are local, which is important,” Beerman said, calling the contributors people who are “rooted in the community.”

He also received $2,500 contributions from Mike Mueller, listed with a Scottsdale, Ariz., address, and Don Hendricks, whose address is listed in Old Town. Beerman, meanwhile, collected contributions from two former mayors of Salt Lake City. Ralph Becker gave $200 while Ted and Holly Wilson gave $100. Ted Wilson once was the capital city’s mayor.

Beerman said he worked closely with Becker while he was the mayor of Salt Lake City on issues like renewable energies and the Mountain Accord long-range planning for the Wasatch Mountain region. He said Becker has been a “mentor to me” and a resource. He said the Becker and Wilson contributions shows the respect he sees himself as having built.

“It means a lot when somebody (who’s) been in that role is supportive of you being in that same role,” Beerman said.

Roger Armstrong, a Summit County Councilor on the mayoral primary ballot, reported raising $20,455 and spending $15,237.37, leaving him with a little more than $5,200 on the day of the Aug. 8 filing. The largest contributor was John Boccardo, a Santa Clara, Utah, man who provided $4,000 to the campaign. Armstrong said Boccardo is a personal friend with a home in the Park City area. A firm called RNOF, LLC from Houston contributed $2,500. Others who contributed include Alesia and Clay Stuard of Park City, who gave $300, and Rich and Janice Sonntag of Park City, who gave $150. Clay Stuard is a former member of the Park City Planning Commission while Rich Sonntag is known for his former role with the Promontory development and as a member of the Eastern Summit County Planning Commission. Armstrong’s wife, Beth Armstrong, worked for Promontory for 11 years as the membership director, the candidate said.

Armstrong said he held one major fundraiser. Nearly everyone who has contributed is a longtime personal friend who attended the event, he said.

“It’s about as pure friends and family support as you can find,” Armstrong said about his list of contributors.

Dana Williams, who served three terms as the mayor of Park City ending in early 2014 and is seeking a return to the office, reported raising $18,095 in cash and donated services. He spent $3,110.93, leaving him with a balance of nearly $15,000. The balance, though, does not take into account that most of the dollar figure attached to his contributions was raised through donated services rather than cash.

He received donated services worth $9,620 from the Boneyard Saloon & Kitchen and another $3,500 in donated services from the No Name Saloon. Both of the places are owned by Jesse Shetler. The candidate said he has known Shetler since the 1980s and hired him in 1982 to work at a bar the Williams family owned. Williams said he intends to reimburse much if not all of the sum contributed by Shetler through other fundraising. He said the contributions were important since they were made during the early days of the campaign, when expenditures rise quickly.

“I’m very thankful . . . someone’s willing to step up at the beginning,” Williams said.

The former mayor also received a $1,000 contribution from John Davis and $500 contributions from Herbert Armstrong and Ray Craig Johnson. Davis is a longtime friend, Johnson is a mining-industry attorney who Williams has known for more than 20 years and Armstrong is a member of a longtime Park City family that once sold land to City Hall for conservation purposes.

Each of the candidates spent campaign funds on items like advertising, supplies, creative services and printing.

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