HOOPER -- January ushers in a new beginning for the city, which now has a new form of government, a new mayor and two new council members.
Korry Green recently took the oath of office as the first elected mayor, replacing Glenn Barrow. Green was the first city council chairman when Hooper was incorporated in 2000. He said his main reason for seeking to be mayor is to help manage growth so that the community can keep its farming focus.
"This can be done with better financial business sense in order to be more financially viable with such things as not allowing high density developments such as townhomes and apartments," Green said.
"In addition to that, my aim is to better manage the money the city has so that we can avoid possible tax increases or burdens on the citizens of Hooper. I am pleased with the new form of government since it is more workable for our small community."
As mayor, Green was appointed by the council to serve on the Weber Sewer Improvement District Board of Directors.
"Since the $140 million expansion to the sewer should be finished in the spring, I hope to maintain the continued level of sewer costs to Hooper residents, even though there is an increase being created by the sewer district to cover the expansion costs."
Kyle Cooke and Shawn Beus were sworn in as new councilmen, both representing at-large seats. The council appointed Jeffrey Plane to serve the remaining one year left on Beus's four-year planning commission seat.
The new form of government consists of a six-member council, one of whom is the mayor. In November 2010, voters approved the change in order to more broadly distribute responsibilities within the city by delegating authority, thus preventing the burden of running the city from falling on any single individual.
Councilwoman Annette Fielding said the old form of government that was used since Hooper incorporated in June 2000 is better suited for bigger cities like Ogden.
"With Hooper's new government now in place, we as council members will assume administrative duties for assigned areas of city government, and that works better for small towns because there is more help to share the duties," Fielding said.
Because the new government takes place in the middle of four council members' four-year terms, for the next two years, the council will consist of seven members, allowing the incumbents to serve the remainder of their terms. Beginning in 2014 the council will operate with six members.
Three of the council seats now represent individual districts that have been created within the city, and the other two council members and the mayor will run citywide at-large seats. This allows the mayor to have a vote in council meetings in the event of a tie.
The new form of government also changes council seats in each district. Instead of two seats from three voting districts, there now is one from each district and two at-large seats.
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