Readers of The Park Record or residents that are active on Nextdoor are certainly aware of a significant level of dissatisfaction with our local government. The approval of massive developments, projects seemingly discussed for years with little or no action, and a history of ignoring public opini on, has resulted in a growing mistrust of our representatives at the city and county level. Much of this situation is due to the lack of new representation. Council members at both the city and county level often serve for many years, and an open seat only becomes available when an incumbent voluntarily steps down.  However, in the upcoming November election, Summit County residents have a rare opportunity to bring a fresh perspective to county government in the race for county clerk. The candidates for the position of county clerk are former Summit County Councilor Malena Stevens and longtime county resident, business owner and former South Summit School Board President Suni Woolstenhulme. The manner in which Stevens was appointed to be interim county clerk is political cronyism at its worst. She replaced the former County Clerk Eve Furse, who single-handedly torpedoed the citizens referendum to stop the Dakota Pacific project. Furse took it upon herself to reject most of the signatures collected due for “improper circulation.” As a result of this incredibly irresponsible move, arguably beyond the duties of county clerk, Furse announced her retirement as of April, as she had little chance to be reelected.  Even though the position of county clerk should logically be nonpartisan, Furse was a Democrat, which allowed the Summit County Democratic Party to appoint her replacement. This allows Stevens to run as an incumbent, a clear advantage in electoral politics.  When you examine Stevens’ recent history, it is clear she is not deserving of another high level and highly compensated county position. She has held many positions in county government through the years, most recently on the Summit County Council. Stevens announced in December 2023 she would not seek reelection to the council in 2024, stating “upcoming opportunities and obligations in her personal and professional life would prevent her from giving the elected position the time it needs” (Park Record, Dec. 15, 2023). In light of Stevens’ voluntary decision to step down, her actions in 2024 deserve scrutiny and should be considered by every Summit County voter before casting a ballot. In the June 18, 2024, edition, The Park Record reported “Park City, Summit County leaders plan to travel to Paris for expected Winter Olympic announcement.”  The Park Record stated Malena Stevens was scheduled to travel to the Summer Olympics “at taxpayer expense.”  The cost of Stevens’ travel was not revealed, but then Park City Mayor Nann Worel’s travel expense was estimated to be $12,000. After this extravagant use of taxpayer money, our representatives determined that traffic and transportation were the “biggest issues for Parisians” (Park Record, Aug. 9, 2024). Paris is one of the world’s great cities and transportation, accommodations and venues are unlikely to be comparable to a winter Olympics scheduled 10 years hence. The value of sending a lame duck”at county expense surely cannot be justified. One would think a person of integrity in Stevens’ position would have declined the invitation. While the free trip to Paris is troubling, it pales in comparison to later actions by Stevens in 2024. On Dec. 18, 2024, as one of her last acts on the Summit County Council, Stevens cast one of the four votes in favor of amending the existing land use agreement for the Dakota Pacific Development. At the time, Stevens stated she was guided through the grueling, nearly five-year process by the question, “Who does Summit County want to be?” Well, it should have been clear to the council and Malena Stevens that Summit County didn’t want to be home to this development. Public opposition had been overwhelming and constant.  In reality, Stevens always supported the Dakota Pacific development. As a member of the Snyderville Basin Planning Commission, she was one of two votes for a positive recommendation for Dakota Pacific on Sept. 8, 2020. The commission voted 5-2 to give a negative recommendation to the project. This is hardly water under the bridge. By approving Dakota Pacific and not fighting the state Legislature as it worked to take away local control, the Summit County Council has established a precedent in which they can’t easily deny any project. Stevens cannot be disassociated with this issue. The good news is the voters of Summit County have an outstanding alternative. Woolstenhulme is not part of the cabal that created the current hostile situation. She came to Utah in 1998 from the Midwest and attended Utah State University, where she earned a degree in business management. Woolstenhulme has lived since 2005 in Summit County, where she raised her family, served on the South Summit School Board, and established a successful business. Woolstenhulme believes the Clerk’s Office must serve all the people of Summit County equitably and work independently of the County Council and free from politics. In a recent letter to the editor of The Park Record, she stated she was “absolutely floored” to discover the county clerk salary is over $150,000 per year with a benefits package that will push the total compensation to nearly $200,000. Woolstenhulme investigated voluntarily reducing her salary if elected, but found it is not allowed.  Instead, she has pledged to donate a portion of her salary back to the community (Park Record, July 15). For those of us that have complained about local government, Woolstenhulme represents a real alternative to business as usual. This is a rare opportunity for real change to our county government. I urge everyone to vote for change and new leadership by electing Suni Woolstenhulme Summit County clerk this November. Vincent A. “Van” Novack Snyderville Editor’s note: Third District Court Judge Richard Mrazik ruled in August 2025 that the referendum petition challenging the Dakota Pacific Real Estate development was legally moot. The post Fresh perspective appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less