This year the rules to declare candidacy for elected office in Park City changed a bit. For the first time, potential candidates had an option to either complete a ballot petition with a minimum of 100 valid signatures from voters within Park City’s boundaries or pay a $100 fee to run for City Council/$150 for mayor. I took a stance that if I could not meet the signature requirement, I should not run for City Council. A Park Record article published on May 26 highlighted that.

Spoiler alert: I’m the only candidate to complete a ballot petition rather than paying the fee.

Collecting signatures is hard work, time consuming and unpredictable — quite relevant to serving as an elected official. My wife and I both work full-time jobs and have two young children. The effort was well worth it. I had conversations with hundreds of community members, including those who live within Park City and the surrounding areas. I look forward to having many, many more. As an aside, I found that some folks who live nearby (Canyons side of McPolin Barn, Trailside, Deer Crest, etc.) don’t realize they are not within the official boundaries of Park City and therefore cannot vote in Park City’s elections. Decisions and plans made by Park City and neighboring jurisdictions often impact each other, stressing the need for regional collaboration.

Back to the ballot petition experience … discussions ranged from a few minutes to a few hours. Many topics were covered with an opportunity to hear from voices across our community and share perspectives. Not everyone agreed on every topic, but that’s the whole point of a healthy (sometimes even heated) debate resulting in better solutions for our community. By doing the work I was able to actively listen to perspectives across our community, prove an ability to make progress through accepting measured risk and demonstrate a drive for results. I did not encounter a single individual who refused to sign. The high level of community engagement assured me there is much interest in bringing new perspectives to City Council, and I’m glad to say I’ve made many new friends along the way.

Similar to just asking for a signature rather than having a discussion, it is not good enough to simply ask our community for feedback on a topic. We must be proactive in engaging and obtaining input before getting too far down the path of any initiative. We need to hear from those hesitant to speak up even if it takes significant outreach. At the same time, having an impactful, well-informed opinion as an elected official and driving results are also critically important. These qualities are all necessary from an effective leader and not mutually exclusive; balancing them is an art. Successful outcomes can only be realized through mutual respect, authenticity, knowledge, transparency and awareness. Additionally, if as signatures were validated the count fell below 100, I would be disqualified from candidacy with no recourse (backstopping with the filing fee was not an option). After evaluating the risk, and the potential benefits of this process, I chose to proceed. My professional career and personal experiences have exhibited these essential qualities time and time again, a key contributor to realizing the dream of raising our family here in Park City.

As the only candidate to collect signatures, I’m proud to say my ballot petition has been officially validated and far exceeded the minimum requirement. I take challenges head on and don’t only deliver on my promises, I look to continuously improve on expected results. The process was educational, exceptionally rewarding and just the beginning. To that note, visit VoteRubell.com for my contact information and please get in touch.

Our community is looking for strong, collaborative leaders who exhibit a commitment to serve. Widespread support for my City Council candidacy is the ultimate compliment. Thank you.