Tana Toly’s Oct. 14 endorsement of Malena Stevens for Summit County clerk deserves a response. Her letter illustrates why many residents are frustrated with our elected officials. Toly questions Suni Woolstenhulme’s independence because she chose to run as a Republican rather than unaffiliat ed. Yet Toly neglects to mention that Stevens is a Democrat. If running unaffiliated is the standard for independence, why doesn’t Toly apply that standard to Stevens? Party affiliation cannot disqualify one candidate while being irrelevant to another. More puzzling is how much of Toly’s letter defends Dakota Pacific while insisting land use has nothing to do with the clerk’s responsibilities. Stevens’ voting record deserves examination. In 2020, Stevens was one of only two Snyderville Basin planning commissioners supporting Dakota Pacific when the commission voted 5 to 2 against recommending it. In 2021, she supported preparing a development agreement as a county council member. Attorney and Councilor Roger Armstrong cast the lone dissenting vote. Toly describes Stevens’ decisions as necessary concessions to legislative pressure. Armstrong’s dissent demonstrates that an alternative position existed. Toly also claims Stevens’ negotiations prevented Dakota Pacific from becoming at least one-third larger. County documents describe 885 residential units. If Toly means residential units, one third larger would mean 1,180 units. What proposal establishes that comparison? Dakota Pacific also raises questions directly involving the Clerk’s Office. In 2025, referendum organizers reported collecting more than 6,000 signatures. Then Clerk Eve Furse rejected numerous packets over disputed and controversial binding requirements, leaving 3,214 verified signatures against 4,554 required. Petitioners challenged her interpretation. The court dismissed the case as moot following state legislation without deciding whether Furse’s rejection was correct. Furse subsequently resigned before completing her term and endorsed Stevens, who was appointed clerk. Stevens did not reject those signatures but publicly defended Furse’s decision during the recent candidate debate on KPCW. Stevens’ defense raises questions about how the Clerk’s Office should handle disputed referendum petitions. The broader concern about whether public objections are heard extends to Park City’s Bonanza 5-acre project. Time is running out. Residents have signed petitions, attended hearings, and objected to the project’s density, building heights, public subsidies and affordability. Yet it continues moving through the approval process. My concern is that Mayor Ryan Dickey and politically connected council members will approve Bonanza before voters can hold them accountable in 2027. Consider the political relationships. Stevens managed Dickey’s mayoral campaign. His Dec. 1, 2025, disclosure records a $5,000 payment to Stevens for campaign management. Disclosures also show Stevens, Toly and Miller contributed to Dickey’s campaign. Ryan Dickey, Tana Toly and Diego Zegarra all employed political consultant John Morris, who described his work for their campaigns as including strategy, operations and voter outreach. When Dickey’s council seat became vacant, Miller was appointed despite finishing seventh among eight primary candidates and failing to advance to the general election. Toly and Zegarra supported her appointment. Dickey broke the deadlock in Miller’s favor, saying their values and priorities aligned. Miller has publicly supported Bonanza. Consider what residents see: a mayor, council members sharing campaign consultants, and an appointed council member supporting Bonanza despite public objections. This does not establish coordinated voting, but it raises questions about political independence and whose interests are represented. The county clerk does not decide development policy, but voters can examine a candidate’s record, including her approach to disputed referendum petitions. By the 2027 council elections, Bonanza’s future may already be decided. I believe elected officials must listen to their constituents and remain accountable for their decisions. This election offers an opportunity to express that expectation now. I support Suni Woolstenhulme for Summit County clerk. Timothy Noonan Prospector The post Can’t afford to wait appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less