Park City School Board: Why I voted for Meredith Reed over Mandy Pomeroy

Many of you know that I ran against Meredith Reed and Mandy Pomeroy in the primary for the Jeremy Ranch school board seat. I lost by 22 votes. Yet, I believe I gained valuable insight into our school board.

I remember the call I received from Meredith Reed. She asked if I would be willing to forgo applying for Kara Hendrickson’s spot on the board. Ms. Hendrickson had resigned from the board due to health issues. Meredith made a compelling argument that democracy was best served by not appointing someone who would become an incumbent and afforded that advantage in the election. It made sense.

It made even more sense when Carlos Villar and E.J. Elliot applied for the vacancy. Of course, the Park City School Board didn’t choose the former 35-year FBI agent who is fluent in Spanish and would have provided a Hispanic perspective to the board. Nor did they choose the former Park City high school student who mentors current students and could have provided a younger and fresher perspective. The board could have chosen someone who could have grown the board –even if only for six months. Instead, they chose Mandy Pomeroy.

I’ve seen nothing in Mandy’s first six months of service that convinces me she will improve our schools. What I pay attention to in school board meetings are the questions a person asks, the stances they take, and how they influence others in their decision-making. I’ve seen little of that. Supporters may say she works behind the scenes. That could be true, but a school board should conduct its business in front of its constituents.

Then comes the question of taxes. Mandy, as a member of the board, didn’t stand up to the school board when they decided to keep our taxes higher than they should be. A bond had been paid off and our property taxes should have been reduced. Instead, Mandy and the rest of the school board voted to keep that tax on the books. She may be running with the support of the Republican party, but keeping taxes higher than they should be isn’t a Republican value.

I also can’t get past Mandy’s interview on KPCW where the host, Michelle Deininger, seemed to make a strong case that Mandy has played fast and loose with the truth. I want change in our school district and that interview terrified me. If you haven’t listened to it, I would.

So, what about Mandy’s opponent, Meredith Reed? Like I have said before, we as a community don’t win by running from something. We need to run toward something.

In this case, I buy what Meredith Reed is selling. She wants to ensure that all important discussions are made in the open. That enables us to understand how the school board’s decisions are made. She wants to take a hard look at the Superintendent’s contract. Given all the negatives we have seen, should we be compensating our Superintendent at $400K+ per year? Even more, she wants to ensure that the school board communicates with the public. Those are stances I can get behind.

In my mind, there is little question of whether Meredith Reed is the superior candidate to Mandy Pomeroy. If you are a fan of the current school board, and how they have acted, then Mandy is probably the right candidate for you.

I, however, don’t want more of the same. I want someone I can trust. I want someone who wants to make positive changes. That’s why I voted for Meredith Reed for Park City School Board.