Megan McKenna is uniquely qualified to speak the language of the community and lead by example on the Summit County Council. Her past job as a ski patroller provides insider knowledge on how the tourist economy brings in dollars to support local initiatives. She taught science to high schoolers, demonstrating her ability to manage chaos while educating the next generation and navigating the endless volume of paperwork necessary for the role.
Megan is currently using her personal experience as one of the “lucky ones” to secure a long-term ownership in affordable housing to expand the opportunity for others like her. And now she is a candidate for County Council — and I, for one, will be voting for her on June 25.
Real estate development isn’t the only polarizing issue in the county, but it sure seems to get a lot of press. We collectively idolize those that advocate keeping the drawbridge closed, while ignoring the long-term negative impacts this philosophy creates.
Where are the individuals and families that bring cultural and demographic diversity intended to live? How about our teachers? Firefighters? Nurses, dentists, bike shop employees, waitstaff and cooks? The list can go on, but these folks aren’t moving to town — they are commuting to town.
We can’t support our next generation of neighbors while simultaneously working to keep them out.
Megan is doing something about it. She recently researched the economic benefit of housing and presented the results as a panelist at the Wasatch Back Economic Summit. The formal report is forthcoming, but the impact of even one more deed-restricted housing unit is significantly beneficial to the community — and not just for traffic mitigation. I’ve had the opportunity to get to know Megan and her insatiable search for knowledge (a hallmark of a great teacher) is refreshing.
I encourage you to research the candidates before casting your ballot on June 25. You’ll find that Megan is experienced, knowledgeable and thoughtful on a wide variety of issues. This is what will make her a great Summit County Council member.
Tony Tyler
Snyderville Basin