Megan McKenna, a long-time Park City local and former Park City High School teacher turned housing advocate, announced her campaign for Summit County Council this week.
McKenna filed to run for the seat currently occupied by Vice Chair Malena Stevens, who is not seeking reelection. She is the third Democrat and fourth person to launch a bid for the open position. The filing period officially opened on Tuesday and will end on Monday.
“As a candidate who grew up in Summit County and as a longtime member of our local workforce, I’ve developed a voice for sustainability, responsible growth, affordability and regional collaboration,” she said. “My experience in the local ski and service industries, public education, affordable housing, along with my science background, make me a well-rounded candidate, and provide a valuable perspective that’s unique to the County Council and other candidates.”
Having grown up in the Park City area, McKenna has witnessed how the community has changed over the years. She’s worked in the area’s biggest industries, including 11 years as a ski patroller at the Canyons before Vail Resorts took ownership, stints in the service industry as a bartender and taxi driver as well as more than a decade spent as a high school science teacher.
Today, she’s a housing advocate at Mountainlands Community Housing Trust. McKenna joined the nonprofit in August 2022 to help build support for equitable housing opportunities and is responsible for community outreach.
She sees the affordable housing crisis in Summit County as one of the major challenges the community is facing. McKenna lives in Park City Heights, a part of a subdivision that’s restricted to the area workforce, and was able to purchase her home through the city’s affordable housing program.
“Over the years, I have seen lots of family and friends and coworkers displaced due to affordability and I’ve felt the impact it’s had on our community,” she said. “I had the opportunity to buy, and it was life-changing. It was really at that moment that I realized how critical housing was to the sustainability and vibrancy of our community.”
McKenna feels a strong sense of responsibility to ensure future generations have the same opportunity to live in the Park City area. She believes a holistic approach is necessary to address the community’s greatest challenges because they’re all connected.
For example, providing affordable housing solutions could help solve problems such as climate change, traffic and the area workforce supply because people wouldn’t have to commute.
McKenna is inspired to bring a more sustainable future to Summit County. She said she’s committed to a future-forward platform focused on responsible growth, sustainability and regional collaboration.
The Democratic candidate wants to promote private-public partnerships between the county, businesses and nonprofits. Her campaign is centered around the biggest challenges in the community, but McKenna said the heart of her approach is collaboration because it helps maximize resources and enhance the collective impact.
“Partnerships are critical. We’re all in this together. No one of us can do it on our own. I think the only way forward is collaborating and combining resources, skills and strengths to benefit everyone. I think our county plays a big role in helping coordinate that,” she said.
McKenna recognized eastern Summit County and the Snyderville Basin have similar challenges, but she said residents differ somewhat in how to tackle the problems. She said input from community members in each town should be prioritized so they can have a voice in shaping their future. If elected, McKenna said she wants to help bridge the divide.
The former teacher said she is motivated by her past students as well as her nieces and nephews to ensure Summit County remains a great place for young people and future generations.
“Change is inevitable, but sustainability and affordability are not. They will require future collaboration and strategic planning to support a future Summit County in which all residents can thrive,” she said.
McKenna is a graduate of Park City Leadership Class 28 and participated in the first cohort of the Community Planning Lab, where her final project centered around the creation of a regional housing authority — which city and county officials are now considering.
LGBTQ+ advocate Cami Richardson and Snyderville Basin Planning Commissioner Thomas Cooke have also filed to fill the open seat.
The Summit County Democratic Party will host a caucus in March to select delegates for the county convention who will determine which of the candidates receives the party nomination for the seat. A primary election would be held for the top two vote-getters in June if no individual receives at least 60% of the delegate vote.
The county’s Republican Party will go through the same process to determine who will advance to the ballot if there are races with more than one candidate. Former Francis Mayor Byron Ames is the only member of the GOP to announce his intent to run as of Tuesday afternoon.
There are two other County Council seats on the November ballot. Incumbents Roger Armstrong and Tonja Hanson announced their intent to run for another term. No challengers have emerged yet.