Gladwell is concerned, however, that the bigger government becomes, the more dependent — and weaker — society becomes.

Gladwell is running for an at-large seat on the Ogden City Council against incumbent Marcia White. But even if he does not win, he would like to see the City Council broken up with views that differ from those of Mayor Mike Caldwell.

“They’ve created a groupthink,” Gladwell said of the City Council, who he believes has been ready to approve any proposal made by Caldwell. “Someone needs to have the guts and passion to stand up to the mayor.”

The city’s plans for redevelopment is a hot-button issue for Gladwell. He does not believe the city should ever be in the business of buying or selling property for the purpose of revitalizing an area to make it more welcoming.

With every new development Gladwell sees, he thinks of former President Barack Obama’s quote during a campaign appearance in Virginia on July 13, 2012, “If you’ve got a business — you didn’t build that,” Obama said.

He often wonders what Ogden had to give up for businesses to come here.

Gladwell said the city can help develop Ogden by selling the properties they own without any strings attached and give the money back to the community through organizations such as the Lantern House, United Way or the Marshall White Center.

Tearing down the MWC and building a new, working, clean facility in downtown will encourage people to engage in healthy habits, according to Gladwell.

“I will always consider those less fortunate, because they are the ones most affected with less resources and opportunity,” he said.

As an auditor for the Department of Defense headquarters at the Pentagon, he writes policies affecting thousands of people. According to Gladwell, the language used in the 2017 property tax increase on Ogden residents was written to guilt people to vote in favor of it.

“It was shameful of them,” Gladwell said of the narrative created, indicating that a vote against the 31% increase meant people did not care about their police and fire departments.

Gladwell believes the city should never scare people into voting for a tax increase by telling them they cannot afford to pay critical personnel.

“I believe in the individual, not the government,” Gladwell said.

Weber County election ballots are to be mailed out starting on Oct. 12, and they should be received no later than Oct. 19, per the Weber County Elections office. The general election will be held on Nov. 2.