Q: Why not just leave things as they are with Valley residents represented by the Weber County Commissioners?
Why would we prefer to leave control in the hands of 3 people who don’t need to live in the Valley? We have seen decisions that ignore our Ogden Valley Planning Commission and public opinion. At 3% of the county population, valley residents have little or no influence on election outcomes. Thus, the commissioners often make decisions that may not represent the best interest of our community, which is very economically, geographically, and demographically distinct from the rest of the county.
Q: If the community votes to incorporate, what happens to current planning and zoning ordinances governing the Valley?
State law holds that when a new city or town incorporates, the current zoning ordinances remain in place until such time the community chooses to change them through established legal means, which includes public hearings.
Q: How many votes will it take to incorporate Ogden Valley?
A simple majority of full-time registered voters living within the boundary of the incorporated area, meaning just one vote over 50%.
Q: Who submitted the application for a feasibility study?
Mark Ferrin was the primary sponsor of this initiative. Mark is a long-standing resident of Ogden Valley and is interested in ensuring Valley residents have more influence over the governance of their community. He is supported by several established Valley residents. The other sponsors are Nick Dahlkamp, Shanna Francis, Brandi Hammon, Richard Webb, and Jeannie Wendell.
Q: How was the incorporation effort paid for?
The Lieutenant Governor’s office covered the costs of the Feasibility Study. These funds do need to be paid back, and are included in the estimated new city’s expenses. The survey of the newly proposed city boundary was funded by supporters and sponsors. Legal support was provided pro-bono and all other support was donated.
Q: Why should Ogden Valley incorporate?
Ogden Valley residents represent roughly 2.8% of Weber County’s population and only 1.8% of its registered voters. It is time for locally elected leadership that is dedicated to supporting the Ogden Valley community and the vision and values as adopted in the 2016 Ogden Valley General Plan. In other words, it’s time that Ogden Valley has local representation where our voices are heard.