Patriarch of a close family that for years has been a large part of the social fabric of this small mountain town, County Commissioner Sheldon Richins will retain his office come January after running unopposed for re-election.
Richins, who is seeking a third term, is a Democrat but says he may well push for change that would make such elections nonpartisan in Summit County."There's no value in rural counties having partisan races," said Richins, who argues that labeling small-town candidates Republican or Democrat only limits the pool of talent available for public office.
"We lose a lot of good people that way," Richins said.
Richins has a good shot at effecting the change. By state statute, county commissioners can submit such a proposal to a referendum.
Richins said that during his third term he will stick to the same style of politicking he has known during the previous two.
"What people want out of politicians is to be listened to," Richins said. He says he learned that lesson during a 20-year education career as a high school and middle school principal in the North Summit School District.
"One thing that frustrated parents as well as students was when they had something to say and no one would listen to them."
Since retiring from teaching, Richins, 60, has run a cattle and sheep ranch at the edge of Henefer, a 650-inhabitant town just off I-84 in northwest Summit County where he lives with his wife, Nancy. All of the couple's four children have settled nearby, and the pair count 14 grandchildren in the area.
Despite being 30 miles removed from Summit County's population center - the Snyderville Basin and adjacent Park City - Richins said he has had no problem empathizing with the growing pains that area has felt in recent years.
"Regardless of where you live in the county, the one issue is growth management," Richins said, noting that even small towns like Woodland, Francis, Kamas, Marion, Oakley and Peoa are struggling with population booms.
Water ultimately will prove to be the limiting factor, Richins said. But he added that if an astonishing influx of newcomers has its downside, it brings benefits, too.
"One thing that's often forgotten is that Park City has offered employment opportunities to the whole east side of the county," he said. "From Kamas to Park City you're looking at 15 minutes. . . . It's a relatively short commute, and a lot of people are driving from rural areas to Park City for work."
"I think we complement each other a lot. They create jobs; the east side offers recreation areas and a lot of outdoor activities."
When he ran for his current termin 1992, Richins proved resoundingly popular, garnering 68 percent of the vote while two opponents split the rest.
He will serve on the commission with Jim Soter of Marion and Tom Flinders of Snyderville.