Now that voters have decided to incorporate and sponsors have determined voting districts, we look forward to elections in November 2025. In the meantime, many volunteers are continuing to prepare for the new city. Want to help? Volunteer here.
See the districts page.
Q: When will administrative power shift from the county to the city?
A: January 1, 2026. Until then, county ordinances and processes will continue as usual.
Q: Who will run or administer an incorporated Ogden Valley?
A: During the 2024 election, voters in the Ogden Valley voted for a 5-member city council, to be selected by district, and an at-large mayor. The municipal election will take place on November 4th, 2025.
Incorporation Sponsors had the legal responsibility of delineating the districts. The law requires that the districts have “substantially equal” population size. Open houses and one legally required public meeting were held to gather input on the districts and the final maps were submitted in January 2025.
City Council members must live in the district they represent, the “at large” mayor must live in the newly incorporated area.
You will elect your district representative and mayor during municipal elections. The primary for our first City Council and Mayor is August 12 th , 2025, with the final selection made by voters on November 5 th , 2025.
The new City Council and Mayor will be sworn in January 5. 2026.
If you are unsure which district you live in, you can see the map of all districts here.
Q: What will happen to our mailing addresses?
A: Mailing addresses will remain the same for the foreseeable future. Eden, Liberty, and Huntsville will remain valid postal addresses. The traditional names of local communities will also remain in use, i.e., Eden, Liberty, Huntsville, Nordic Valley, Wolf Creek, etc.
Q: What is the proposed name for the new city?
A: Following the vote to incorporate, Ogden Valley is the legal name until the elected officials vote to make a change.
Q: Are the mayor and council members paid?
A: It’s up to them. They can pass an ordinance (with appropriate public notice and comment, of course) to pay themselves. This can include salaries and/or allowable reimbursements.
Q: When and how to candidates declare for office?
The Weber County Elections Office is responsible for conducting the 2025 elections for Ogden Valley municipal offices. Please contact the Weber County Elections Office at 801-399-8034 for more information.
The Elections Office has created a web page specifically for our election. Portions of that page are set forth below:
How & When to Declare Candidacy
Representatives from the Weber County Elections Office will be available at the library to assist with the filing process. If you need help outside of those hours, please call 801-399-8034.
To officially declare candidacy, potential candidates should visit the Ogden Valley Library during the filing period (June 2–6) to complete the necessary paperwork.
If a candidate is unable to appear in person, they must be physically out of the state during the entire filing period (June 2-6). In this case, they may authorize someone else to file on their behalf. We strongly recommend making arrangements with our office in advance to ensure all requirements are met.
A filing fee does not apply for this first election; however, the City Council may determine a filing fee for future election cycles. Required forms will be posted on this page as they become available.
If you have questions about the process or requirements, please contact the Weber County Elections Office, as they are overseeing the 2025 election for Ogden Valley City.
Available Seats in the 2025 Ogden Valley City Election
The following positions are open for election in 2025:
Q: Why do some districts have initial terms of 4 years and others only 2?
To ensure that we do not have 100% turnover in our elected leaders every 4 years the initial terms of those elected to our new city council are staggered.
Those elected from District 1, District 3 and District 5 will initially have terms lasting 2 years. Those elected from District 2 and District 4, as well as the mayor, will have 4-year terms. All subsequent elections will be for 4-year terms.
Q: How does a six-council-member form of government work?
A: There are six city council members—one serving as mayor. Although the mayor is formally a member of the council, the mayor generally only votes in the case of a council tie. This may happen when one council member is absent or needs to abstain from voting.
The mayor may also vote when it comes to hiring and firing decisions regarding a “municipal or city manager”—a position which is not required. They may also vote for any ordinances about the mayor’s powers, duties, or functions.
City councils are subject to public meeting notification laws regarding public participation, open records, and other Utah governmental body rules. Council members vote on issues related to governing a city, such as planning and zoning decisions and other city business. The council will also have to pass ordinances to get the city up and running.
Q: What responsibilities will the new city have?
The new city will be responsible for city services, including engineering, planning, zoning, building inspection, public safety, municipal courts, city road maintenance and snow removal, animal control, and weed control. City services can be contracted with other government entities or private contractors. A prominent example of contract services is the Weber County Sheriff’s Office, which provides public safety services under contracts with many other cities in Weber County.
Several workgroups have been formed to examine various alternatives for the new City Council and Mayor to consider. If you are interested in joining one of these groups, please fill out this volunteer form (insert link) and the team lead will reach out to you within a few days. If you do not hear from them, please reach out to them directly. Remember, these are volunteers trying to keep on top of a lot of work, so please be understanding and give them some grace and understanding.
Administration is led by Kay Hoogland (kayhoogland@mac.com)
Public Works and IT is led by Madison Aviles (madison@wfrc.org)
Planning and Land Use is led by Janet Wampler (Janet.wampler@gmail.com)
Valley Culture is led by Shanna Francis (slfrancis@digis.net)
Constituent Group Roundtables will be led by volunteers in each of the following areas
All Transition Team meetings are open to the public and, as volunteers, we do our best to announce when and where the groups are meeting. To ensure you are getting our e-mail announcements, please sign up to receive our Constant Contact newsletter – and set your e-mail settings to allow the e-mails to reach your inbox. (Some spam blocking services will not allow you to receive Constant Contact e-mails.) Whether you’re a longtime resident or a new neighbor, the Transition Team welcomes your voice and participation. Come listen, contribute, and be a part of the planning that will help define Ogden Valley for years to come. Here’s a calendar of events.
Q: What will happen to Ogden Valley’s general plan?
A: Ogden Valley’s current general plan will remain as the community’s guiding document. Once elected, the city council may update the plan to reflect regulatory changes and new interests expressed by the community.
Q: Will the city have a planning commission?
A: Yes, the council is required to set up a planning commission with appointed members as outlined by state law.
Q: Will property taxes increase because of the incorporation of Ogden Valley?
Let’s be clear: incorporation will not raise taxes. Two independent studies, one commissioned by the state and one by opponents, show that incorporation would create a tax surplus. Though only 3% of the county’s population, we contribute 9% of its taxable property value and 56% of the Municipal Services Fund (MSF) with a surplus of $3.6M from Ogden Valley revenues over the past 5 years which was an excess of 10.2% per year. With incorporation, we also gain access to new revenue sources—like short-term rental taxes, grants, and impact fees—without raising our taxes.
Incorporation ensures our tax dollars stay here, in Ogden Valley, allowing us to invest in local infrastructure, community projects, and services that directly benefit us. Incorporation isn’t about adding more government but transferring control from a distant county bureaucracy to local leadership that is more responsive to local concerns.
Q: How will an incorporated Ogden Valley pay for City Services?
The feasibility study done at the beginning of our incorporation process shows that the following funds would cover the operational costs of an incorporated Ogden Valley.
Q: How are Valley roads going to be maintained?
Except for roads maintained by UDOT (Highways 39, 158, 166, and 167 (Trappers Loop), the city will be responsible for maintaining roads in the incorporated area. The state and county will continue to be responsible for roads outside city boundaries.
The Public Works and IT workgroup is developing options for the new city council to consider. One possibility under consideration is to contract with Weber County and other providers for maintenance and snow removal services.
Road maintenance and snow removal will be paid for the same way the county has been paying for it: city tax (currently called the unincorporated fund tax on your tax statement), UDOT Class B and C funds, sales taxes, and various other state and federal funding sources. Studies by both LRB and the Utah Foundation agreed there is sufficient funding to maintain roads as they are now.
Q: Won’t the County decline to work with us on roads and other issues due to hard feelings over incorporation?
Throughout the incorporation process the sponsors and other leaders have worked closely and cooperatively with county elected officials and staff. Many of these fine folks even participated in the incorporation town hall series at the library. They continue to be engaged as we work on our startup efforts.
Apart from these amicable relationships, the county has a strong incentive to contract with the new city. Incorporation means they will lose some of our taxes, prompting them to seek our new city’s business to sustain operations and their workforce. If the county charges too much, we can seek other vendors, both public and private. Instead of being an obligation for the county, we’ll become a customer with bargaining power.
Q: Are Snowbasin, Powder Mountain and Nordic Valley within the incorporation boundary?
Q: What responsibilities will stay with the county?
The judicial system, jail, schools, libraries, elections and fire departments.
Q: How can I help?
The best way to get involved is to fill out our volunteer form.
Q: Where are the old FAQs?
The historical FAQs are here.
Do you have a question that you would like answered? Email questions to valleyfolks2024@gmail.com.