Ogden Valley incorporation boosters laud vote totals, say election of leaders would come next

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EDEN, Weber County — With the ballot question proposing creation of a new city in the Ogden Valley seemingly headed for passage, Brandi Hammon, who has pushed for the change, is optimistic.

Under the change, she said, locals who truly understand the community east of Ogden in an increasingly popular getaway zone along the Wasatch Back will be tasked with guiding its future, presuming the preliminary results stand as the final ballots are counted.

"I am extremely pleased that it came through with that strong a mandate from the community, that they want to have self-governance," Nick Dahlkamp, another booster, said Wednesday. "I think that's an amazing show of community involvement."

According to the latest results from voting, which culminated Tuesday, votes for incorporation totaled 2,149, more than double the votes against the change, 1,014, or a 67.9%-32.1% split. The figures were last updated Tuesday night, but presuming the trend continues as the remaining votes are counted, next for the incorporation proponents would come the process of creating a city — drawing up maps outlining city council districts, with public input, and holding elections to pick leaders.

The maps would likely be created by late next January, according to Dahlkamp, with elections to follow in the course of 2025 and the new city coming into existence in early 2026 with the inauguration of the officials picked in voting. "We have been getting some feelers from people in the valley who have shown interest in running for office. So I have no doubt there's a pretty healthy group of skilled and experienced people here that would put their names into the running to become councilors and run for office," Dahlkamp said.

Those new leaders, Hammon said, would take on the task of coming up with an official name for the new locale, among many other tasks. It's been called Ogden Valley as the incorporation process has proceeded, but that's only a placeholder name.

Of course not everyone's happy. Though Tuesday's preliminary vote totals indicate strong support for incorporation — seen by boosters as a way of asserting local control as development pressures mount — others are skeptical. As is, Weber County commissioners govern the vast area, measuring some 63.3 square miles and abutting three ski resorts and Pineview Reservoir.

"It's a sad day for our beautiful, rural valley," said Laura Warburton, who has lobbied against incorporation, worried that becoming a city would lead to higher taxes to cover the costs of operating a new locale, a prospect boosters rebuff. "My heart goes out to the long-term retired citizens on fixed incomes, as they will likely be taxed out of their generational homes. Those with wealth will be just fine."

Either way, those pursuing incorporation seek the involvement of all, even those skeptical of change, and they're charging forward, as indicated in a message posted to their website after Tuesday's voting. The proposed city encompasses the Eden, Liberty and unincorporated Huntsville areas and is home to some 7,600 people. "Please plan to stay involved and help us recruit others to get active as we work on a transition from our current unincorporated area to the new city," it reads.

Dahlkamp and Hammon envision the creation of a city governed by a six-member slate of elected officials — five city council members and a "weak" mayor who would vote only to break ties. "We're really looking for invested community members," Hammon said.

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Utah growth and populationUtahWeber CountyPolitics

Tim Vandenack

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Tim Vandenack covers immigration, multicultural issues and Northern Utah for KSL.com. He worked several years for the Standard-Examiner in Ogden and has lived and reported in Mexico, Chile and along the U.S.-Mexico border.