We will hold a Town Hall Meeting on October 22nd (Wednesday) at 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. where the candidates will present their platforms. There will be a Q&A session, and an opportunity for the citizens to visit first hand with the candidates.
Listed is a brief introduction to each candidate, with more in-depth information and photos available through links to their websites or additional info pages. Please click on these links to learn more about each candidate!
The Midway Boosters does not endorse any candidate, but is trying to help educate city members as to who is running, and to publish information to the public as it is made known to us.
Genene Probst-Miles has been on Midway’s Planning Commission for four years. Now, with encouragement from neighbors and friends, Probst-Miles is ready to run for City Council.
Probst-Miles has lived in Midway throughout her entire life, surrounded by family that has been in the area for generations. Her dad, Eugene Probst, brought politics into the family when he became Midway’s mayor and served three terms.
Having worked in hospitality, as a flight attendant and now a real estate agent, Probst-Miles said she has seen it all. Probst-Miles said she will be able to use her “broad knowledge of Midway” to make a difference if elected to the City Council.
Probst-Miles said three main issues have become clear to her as a member of the Planning Commission. As a City Council member, she hopes to focus on property rights, open space and affordable housing.
When it comes to property rights, Probst-Miles is adamant that each individual should be able to dictate what they do with their land. “Some of the issues and items that are coming up on agendas right now are tightening up or kind of limiting people’s property rights, and I have an issue with that,” Probst-Miles said.
A staunch supporter of protecting open space, Probst-Miles said she believes the issue is an important topic, especially in Midway. She referenced open space bond projects like the Kohler Dairy Farm that have brought hundreds of acres of undeveloped land under protection.
“I think it’s amazing that we can keep that open space and not see development,” Probst-Miles said. “But again, those are property owners’ rights, and that’s what they’ve chosen to do with that.”
Probst-Miles said she is not anti-development. If a property owner chooses to develop instead of putting their land into a conservation easement, Probst-Miles said that’s their right. As much as Probst-Miles said she would like to see Midway keep its small-town style, she knows the city is seeing growth either way.
“I’d just really like to see it stay Midway. And I know that’s kind of an oxymoron because it’s already kind of gotten away from us as far as growth, but I think that we can try to implement some ordinances that can contain that and make open space incentives more appealing,” Probst-Miles said.
When it comes to affordable housing, Probst-Miles said she recognizes how expensive Midway’s property has become. If chosen to be part of the City Council, Probst-Miles said she has a few ideas up her sleeve that she hopes could make a real difference.
“I just know that my kids can’t afford to live here,” Probst-Miles said. “The prices just keep going up and it’s pricing everybody out. It’s really sad to me that my kids can’t live here, my nieces and nephews can’t live here, my grandchildren. I feel like my ancestors left a legacy that is gone now, and that’s really sad to me.”
Probst-Miles said she knows that the city is entirely different from how it was when her dad was mayor decades ago, but she hopes she can do her best for Midway. As an advocate for the city, Probst-Miles said she feels like she has the time and dedication to give.
“I have always wanted to serve but didn’t feel like I had the time to dedicate to it fully,” Probst-Miles said. “I am at a time in my life now where I have the time and I am committed to serving my community and putting in the time and effort that is needed.”
Excerpt from “KPCW” interview
📞 Call/Text: 435-513-0328
🌐 Visit: geneneforcitycouncil.com
Let’s keep Midway the town we’re all proud to call home.
Andy Garland has served as area president for Zions Bank and president of Summit Water Distribution Co., among other positions. He’s currently general manager of Mountain Regional Water Special Service District and chair of the Midway Planning Commission.G
Now, he wants to add Midway City Council member to his resume. Garland is running for a seat on the body. His five years on the Planning Commission and his job experience are assets, he said.
“Having both the finance background and working for a special service district, I understand how both sides work,” said Garland, who has a degree in business management from Newbury College in Massachusetts. “Government does operate a little differently than the private sector, so I’ll be able to bring that background. I think my knowledge of water will also be beneficial to Midway.”
Water, growth — and how to manage both — are the most important issues facing Midway, according to Garland, who moved to Utah from Massachusetts to work for Zions Bank right before the 2002 Winter Olympics.
The city needs to look for some redundancy in its water system, he said. The majority of water that Midway uses comes from two sources, the Gerber Spring and the Mahagony Spring, both by Wasatch State Park, he said. “We don’t have any water sources in the southern part of Midway,” Garland said. “If something were to happen to those sources, it’s possible we would have no other source of water.”
The city should explore interconnecting with Jordanelle Special Service District, which would take some hydraulic modeling to figure out, he said.
Garland also said he wants the city to continue working with the Heber Valley Special Service District, a regional wastewater treatment facility, to ensure it stops deferring maintenance and takes meaningful action to resolve ongoing issues.
Another concern is that Midway has not updated its impact fee facilities plan since 2012, Garland said. Developers pay the fees. “For the last 13 years, there has been a lot of development that’s gone on, and we haven’t received the appropriate impact fee to account for rising costs,” Garland said. “I’d like to see that looked into.”
Garland said he is committed to fiscal responsibility by planning ahead, identifying capital projects and budgeting for them. The city should support — and not compete with — local businesses, he said.
In fiscal 2024, Midway’s “must-haves” operated at a $45,591 loss that taxpayers subsidized, and it’s time to rethink that approach, Garland said.
Excerpt from “KPCW” interview
Hi all, I’m JC Simonsen. I’m an Utah native and I’ve lived in the Heber Valley for nearly 20 years now. It was easy to be drawn to Midway’s small town charm and we have loved living here and
getting acquainted with many of the locals. Thank you for having us.
I decided to run for Midway City Council again after a few folks asked me to consider doing so. I am humbled by their confidence in me and I’m willing to serve. It hasn’t always been easy but the
time I’ve spent on the council has been an opportunity for me to interact with the community and contribute to a town my wife and I love and are raising our 2 daughters in and I look forward to using the experience I've gained to do even more.
Coming from a rural background, I have a deep appreciation for agriculture - be it farming, animal husbandry, ranching, or just gardening. I enjoy a relatively quiet and simple rural lifestyle, and I’ve always had the priority of preserving Midway’s farming heritage and open spaces. Because of the two citizen-approved bonds that were passed and with the gracious participation of several willing landowners, hundreds of acres of open agricultural land have been protected. This is an excellent example of maintaining a fair balance between public and private concerns and my initial hopes for what we could do in this area were actually exceeded. I’m so grateful.
Additionally, citizen surveys continually show that outdoor recreation is a top priority and through my work with the Park, Trails and Trees committee we have improved our parks, expanded and connected our trail system and have planted nearly a hundred more trees in Midway. Through this work we have qualified to be a part of the "Tree City USA" network.
I was also instrumental in increasing Midway’s police and public safety services, getting more
dedicated Midway officers through a partnership with Heber Police, whose time now augments the services we get from the County Sheriff’s office.
Aside from the Open Space bonds, all of these things have been done without raising Midway City's property tax. In fact, while some other entities have been raising taxes, Midway City’s general tax rate has consistently gone down. We’ve been able to do more with less, keeping the City’s portion of our tax bill low while maintaining the quality of our infrastructure and if I’m elected for another term I intend to continue that work.
These past years of service have educated me on the complexities behind many of the challenges
we are faced with as we grow. I look forward to continued work with our Mayor and City Council,
Midway staff, County Council members, and other regional partners to be proactive in our decisions in order to retain the rural and historical character of this town we all love so much.
Midway has been fortunate to have good leadership for many, many years going back long before I came to town. I’m honored to do any small part I can.
jc4midway@gmail
I’m Miller Wright, a lifelong resident of the Heber Valley and a proud new parent. My family has lived in Midway for generations, and I’ve grown up watching our town evolve from a quiet farming community into the vibrant place it is today. Midway’s small-town values, open spaces, and strong sense of community have always been at the heart of what makes this such a special place to live.
I’m running for mayor because I believe we can protect what makes Midway unique while planning smartly for the future. As our town grows, we need thoughtful leadership that balances development with preservation, safeguards resources like water and open space, and supports local families and businesses. My goal is to ensure Midway remains a place where the next generation — including my own family — can thrive.
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Miller T WrightSales Agent
Summit Sotheby’s International Realty435-503-4326
Craig Simons grew up in Southern California. He served a full-time mission in the England Birmingham Mission as a representative of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Upon his return, he quickly met Nancy Johnson from San Jose, California.
Craig and Nancy have been married for 42 years. They have 5 children, 12 grandchildren, and have lived in Midway for 14years.
Craig is a current city councilman and a past planning commissioner for Midway City. He manages a local business that has brought and continues to bring revenue and thousands of visitors to Midway each year.
His background includes 8 years in Silicon Valley working in the semi-conductor and technology fields, 10 years as a retail business owner, custom home builder, and manufacturing plant Director of Operations.
For 7 years, he served on Midway Boosters, including as Boosters President, and for 12 years and counting in leadership roles and on the executive committee during Swiss days. For 2025 and 2024, he served as Swiss Days Chair. He has also served on the Heber Valley Tax Advisory Board.
When the complexities of city governance require thoughtful and innovative leadership,
Craig is not afraid to have difficult discussions while respecting others’ opinions. Craig is committed to bringing people together through leadership, problem solving, team work, accountability, and example to solve the pressing issues facing Midway like land use, economic development, resort and tourism, transportation, the arts, safety and security, water, parks, trails and recreation, and open space.
Craig values hard work, integrity, civility, and forward thinking. He is an Eagle Scout and enjoys wood carving, metal engraving, jewelry making, and stained glass.