Heber City resident and hopeful political newcomer Robert Duncan McNeill is stepping in as the Democratic candidate for Wasatch County Council at-large Seat A.  McNeill, a Heber City resident, filed his intent to run on Sept. 1, one day after the party’s former nominee, Patrick Saucier, withd rew from the race. Having moved to Heber City in 2020, McNeill said he is confident he has what it takes to protect the “small town feel” of the Heber Valley and Wasatch County. After all, McNeill said he wants to protect his “forever home.” An actor who studied theater at The Juilliard School in New York City, McNeill said he is well versed in taking on new roles. That includes not only acting but also directing and producing.  McNeill is best known for his role as Lt. Tom Paris in “Star Trek: Voyager,” a television series that aired in 1995. After that, McNeill went behind the camera. He’s directed around 200 television episodes and has been a producer on around five times that many.  “The thing I love about television is the speed of it and the teamwork of it,” McNeill said. “There’s never enough time. There’s never enough money. You’re always fighting unexpected problems.” Learning to work with available resources and anticipating surprises are some aspects of the job McNeill enjoys. He said those skills are easily transferable to what’s required for the county councilor occupying Seat A. “I got a reputation for being someone who was very responsible and thinking outside of the box,” McNeill said. “I was brought in to kind of get things back on track to a number of shows as a producer.” New and creative solutions are among his talents, he said. McNeill wants to utilize that work ethic as a county councilor. If elected, McNeill said he would focus on what he considers the main issues in Wasatch County: growth, maintaining the county’s rural feel and accountability.  “The explosion of growth in Wasatch County, I think that is the No. 1 issue. The community and quality of life,” McNeill said. “I think community is a big part of it.” Accountability is also top off the list. He said these days, he thinks the public wants representatives at the county level “representing them and not just special interests.” “I think everyone wants their voices heard,” McNeill said.  Making county processes more transparent is crucial for McNeill, who said the County Council has consistently shown its cards in that regard.  “I think there’s a lot of good things that are happening at the council level, but I think it can be even better,” McNeill said.  For example, he proposed giving community members more ways to engage beyond public comment periods.  “There should be a response process that happens for some of these major development issues that has some time for people to respond,” McNeill said. “If we wanted to create a process for that, I think that would be great.” McNeill admitted his biggest challenge will be never having held an elected position before. He would be a “freshman,” he said, albeit an enthusiastic one. But McNeill didn’t think that was such a bad thing. “My biggest strength is, I think, bringing in some fresh voices,” he said. “I think, as a Democrat, I really value everyone’s voice.” Whether someone has lived in Wasatch County for generations, is new or is looking to build — McNeill said everyone should have an equal say.  “When everyone is heard, and things are transparent, I think that’s a strength,” McNeill said.  McNeill will face Republican Rachel Kahler for at-large Seat A in the general election. There are also write-in candidates: Shawn Taylor and Jami Hewlett.  The voter registration deadline is Oct. 23, and same-day registration is available on Election Day, Nov. 3. Regular general election ballots will be mailed Oct. 13, and all ballots must be in the possession of the Wasatch County Clerk-Auditor’s Office by 8 p.m. on election night. The post Wasatch County Council candidate Robert McNeill values transparency, accountability appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less