Former Francis Mayor Byron Ames announced a campaign for Summit County Council, making him the first Republican to run for a seat since 2016.
Ames, who served one term as mayor ending in January, said that he did not seek reelection for the position because he was looking for other ways to serve the community. As mayor, he often tried to see the “big picture,” which inspired him to pursue the council seat currently held by Glenn Wright, who has said he does not plan to seek another term.
Ames’ primary reason for running is because he cares about the community and wants to be a voice for residents on the East Side. He said that citizens on both sides of Summit County have similar needs, but that the messaging must be changed to better reach East Side residents.
The former mayor believes that he can serve as a familiar face to those residents and represent their interests. Ames said that elected officials did a great job advocating for his city and hopes to continue that stewardship if elected.
“As cities succeed, the county will succeed,” he said. “We can rise together to share resources.”
Ames said he worked as mayor to create a better communication network to improve planning efforts and collaborated with county officials. During that time, he also built great relationships with other community leaders, which inspired him to seek another way to serve in public office.
He sees a number of issues occurring on the border of unincorporated municipalities which will likely affect East Side residents in the future. If elected, Ames wants to continue working with municipalities to develop long-term goals and strives to be a voice of reason.
Though he’s a registered Republican, Ames considers himself moderate and has served as a Summit County Democratic Party delegate for the Francis precinct. He took on the role to help ensure the reelection of a Democrat and believes in building a coalition that represents everyone.
“I pledge allegiance to the flag, not a party,” Ames said.
Ames believes there are some cultural aspects that have led community members on the East Side to perceive Democrats as “the enemy,” which can hinder progress as elected officials search for long-term solutions to the county’s problems.
He said his candidacy gives voters an opportunity to elect someone who has their “foot in the door” in the East Side. Ames initially spent some time looking to recruit a more qualified candidate to run for the Summit County Council seat but now believes he is the best person for the position.
The County Council must consider the needs of the county when it comes to policy issues like open space, traffic congestion and overall growth, and tailor solutions to what makes sense for the community, Ames said.
More specifically, regarding issues like the proposed development at the Tech Center site in Kimball Junction, he believes that with the right process, the right outcome will happen. Ames believes that with issues that affect so many, it’s important for county leaders to take the time to let it all play out.
Ames, who works as an attorney, thinks that the best answers in his profession are often found in the middle after a bit of negotiation. He said he takes the same approach when it comes to politics, saying that people with different beliefs should work together — rather than through polarization — to help each other find better solutions.
“We can build together when sacrifices are made on all sides,” he said.
The last Republican to serve on the County Council is Tal Adair, who was appointed to his seat in 2015 but lost to Wright in the 2016 election.
Canice Harte, a Democrat and former member of the Snyderville Basin Planning Commission, has also said he will campaign for the County Council seat currently held by Wright. The seat held by Chris Robinson, who plans to seek reelection, is also on the ballot.
The filing window for candidates to formally launch bids for office opens Monday and will run through Friday at 5 p.m. More information is available at the Summit County Clerk’s Office’s website, summitcounty.org/281/Voter-Registration-Elections.