Shaped by his upbringing in the Deep South during the Reagan era, lifelong Republican and longtime East Side resident Ari Ioannides seeks to bridge the political divide on a local level if elected to the open spot on the Summit County Council.The tech entrepreneur turned nonprofit and business leader characterized his campaign for Seat C as a way to address growing concerns about tribalism in politics. Ioannides was critical of candidates who might “wrinkle their nose” at working with a Republican, even the more conservative ones at the Utah Legislature. He thinks he’s a lot more likely to get things done.“There’s real tribalism in this, not just in the city, but nationally, and it’s sort of breaking my heart,” he said. “I’m sure it’s happening on the left and on the right, but it’s got to stop because it hurts anybody who gets elected, and it sets us up against East versus West, Democrat versus Republican, and it’s not working.”Ioannides was born to Greek immigrants, spoke a different language and “ate weird food,” which he said wasn’t easy growing up in Georgia. His parents believed deeply in the pursuit of the American Dream, and Ioannides’ mother eventually ran for school board as a Republican in hopes of addressing local issues.She was elected to the Atlanta Board of Education and worked alongside Dr. Benjamin E. Mays during the transition to desegregation. Ioannides was moved by what his mother stood for: kindness, goodness and an optimistic future. It largely inspired his run for County Council.The Tollgate Canyon resident knows some community members were surprised to learn he’s running as a member of the GOP, especially since he’s served as a delegate for the Democratic Party. However, Ioannides said the unique experience makes him uniquely poised to bring a bipartisan approach to local politics, and he’s committed to representing voters who don’t feel seen at the County Courthouse.“I think we don’t need another Park City person. We need somebody who makes everybody feel belonged, and right now, that’s a large group of people,” Ioannides said.He recognized the deep division between Democrats and Republicans on a national scale, but Ioannides urged voters to not use former President Donald Trump as a “litmus test” for his support regarding the GOP platform. Instead, Ioannides asked them to consider his track record of community contributions — something he said a Democrat would be proud of. He’s a big-time fiscal conservative and socially open.He started a technology company in 1989 that led to the development of the software management program BoardDocs in the early 2000s, which exposed Ioannides to the inner workings of school boards and government councils as well as the importance of policy development and building community capital. He went on to serve as the board chair of Recycle Utah and as the executive director of the Park City Institute before becoming the treasurer of the North Summit Fire District Administrative Control Board.“Look at what I’ve done for the environment. Look at what I’ve done for young kids. Over a million young kids have been touched by the nonprofit I started. Look at what I’ve done for the arts in this community. Look at the people who are supporting me, who I’ve teamed up with and worked with to get things done for. For Recycle Utah. For solar power. For open space. That’s what you should judge me on. Not whether I’m supporting Harris or Trump,” Ioannides said.Ioannides thinks he has a lot of bipartisan support because of his moderate attitude and goal to improve representation on the County Council. He values regional collaboration and working across party lines because it will help break down feelings of tribalism. The most important thing the Republican candidate has learned through his experiences is that the ego has to go. He emphasized the need to listen with empathy and consider the viewpoints of others. Ioannides said the role of a county councilor is to represent the people who elected them and implement what they hear from the electorate. He’s finding it hard to support projects like Dakota Pacific or the Cedar Crest Village because he’s heard it’s not what the community wants after knocking on doors. If the County Council still chooses to support proposals that have limited public buy-in, Ioannides said members should be able to clearly articulate why.He said he’s also heard many county staffers are feeling frustrated with the administration because they “don’t feel supported.” Ioannides advocated for a “kaizen approach” to improving procedures. He wants to develop a baseline assessment to determine how efficient the county is by measuring certain areas such as how long it takes to get a permit and what the satisfaction level is of residents who have gone through that process. That would be used to evaluate performances and subsequently enrich county services. Protecting open space is also a top priority for the near 20-year resident of Summit County as it’s his favorite thing about living here. Ioannides also wants to address affordability. He spotlighted the importance of keeping young families and working people in the community.Ioannides recognized the letter next to his name on the ballot would matter to some voters, and he knows it’s a disadvantage in the predominantly blue Summit County. Ioannides said he also has to make up time to get his name and platform out there as a candidate because there wasn’t a primary election in his race.If elected, Ioannides isn’t worried about whether he’ll get along with a majority Democrat council as a freshman member.“I’m going to fit right in. I’m not going to blow up the Council. I’m running because it’s a great council and I want to be on that team. It’s a really good team,” he said. “I’m going to hit the ground running.”Summit County voters will have the choice between Ioannides and housing advocate Megan McKenna, the Democratic candidate, for Seat C in the general election. County Council Chair Malena Stevens currently occupies the seat. She is not seeking reelection.The post Ari Ioannides’ bid for Summit County Council aims to bridge divide appeared first on Park Record.