Weber County Commission hopefuls address development, responsiveness
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- Three of the four candidates for seats A and B on the Weber County Commission participate in a forum on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022, at the Main Branch library in Ogden. From left, they are Seat A hopeful John Thompson, a Democrat, and Seat B hopefuls Sharon Bolos, a Republican, and Brian Rowley, a Libertarian. Incumbent Seat A candidate Gage Froerer, a Republican, did not attend.
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- Three of the four candidates for seats A and B on the Weber County Commission participate in a forum on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022, at the Main Branch library in Ogden. From left, they are Seat A hopeful John Thompson, a Democrat, and Seat B hopefuls Sharon Bolos, a Republican, and Brian Rowley, a Libertarian. Incumbent Seat A candidate Gage Froerer, a Republican, did not attend.
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- Three of the four candidates for seats A and B on the Weber County Commission participate in a forum on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022, at the Main Branch library in Ogden. From left, they are Seat A hopeful John Thompson, a Democrat, and Seat B hopefuls Sharon Bolos, a Republican, and Brian Rowley, a Libertarian. Incumbent Seat A candidate Gage Froerer, a Republican, did not attend.
OGDEN — Three of the four hopefuls for the two Weber County Commission seats up for grabs this cycle met at a forum Wednesday, touching on government responsiveness, development, property rights and more.
On hand were the two candidates for Seat B on the county commission, Republican Sharon Bolos and Libertarian Brian Rowley. Scott Jenkins, a Republican, is the incumbent, but he’s not running for reelection.
Seat A Democratic hopeful John Thompson also attended, but the Republican Seat A hopeful, incumbent Gage Froerer, was not present due to recent surgery, according to Terri McCulloch of the Weber County League of Women Voters. The league organized Wednesday’s event, held at the Main Branch library in Ogden, along with the Ogden Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
Growth and development are big issues facing Weber County, like locales all along the Wasatch Front, and the topics figured big in the forum. Many in western Weber County and the Ogden Valley have bristled as new housing development plans have emerged calling for conversion of what has been open space into houses, townhomes and apartments. It’s an ongoing issue county commissioners regularly face.
Thompson, a regular candidate for office over the years in Weber County, said he would give priority to the rights of those already living in an area over property owners proposing new uses to adjacent land. “Basically, the people in that community should have final say,” he said.
Bolos, who served as mayor of West Haven for two terms, said she’s a firm believer in property rights, the rights of those who have land, generally speaking, to develop it. She stressed the importance, though, of having a plan in place to guide development to minimize surprises.
In West Haven, she said, officials have been able to work with developers to find middle ground, noting the example of a large development in the city with housing clustered relatively close together, leaving wide stretches of public open space. Maintenance of open space as new housing comes in seems to be a priority for many.
As a Libertarian, Rowley, who’s from Ogden, indicated he’d limit government involvement in such things. “I believe in a truly free, capitalist society,” unencumbered as much as possible by government, he said in response to the development question.
That outlook, in fact, informs his political approach in general. “I want every side of the government to shrink as much as possible,” he said.
All three hopefuls voiced agreement in the importance of commissioners being responsive to everyone in the community, even if they aren’t supporters, another topic that received a lot of attention.
On that count, Thompson, from Ogden, alluded to Froerer, who served in the Utah House before his election to the county commission in 2018, saying the incumbent’s lack of responsiveness spurred him into the race. When Froerer was serving in the House, Thompson said, he didn’t respond to several queries Thompson put to him.
“I never got a reply from him,” Thompson said. “I think government should be responsive.”
Later, he offered more tough words. “I think there’s a problem of trust with the county commissioners,” Thompson said.
Bolos stressed the importance of communication and understanding, even when two parties disagree. “The end of the conversation should be I understand them and they understand me, not I win and they lose or I lose and they win,” she said.
Broadly, Bolos said water conservation is a key priority for her, along with public safety and encouraging development of affordable housing.
On water, county commissioners have limited power to craft policy, but Bolos said county officials could look for areas where the county can curtail use, thereby serving as an example to the public. Commissioners could also provide leadership in the search for answers, even if they aren’t the final decision-makers.
Rowley suggested that agriculture users, who account for most water consumption, could shift to crops that are more resistant to the hot, dry weather of Utah. Similarly, Thompson said ag users should be scrutinized in the bid to conserve water.
On homelessness, Thompson suggested looking into using vacant buildings in Ogden to create space for those needing a home. Bolos said the first step is to get past denial that homelessness exists in all corners of the county, an attitude she sometimes encounters. Rowley suggested tackling the root causes underlying many instances of homelessness — mental health issues and drug addiction.
Both county commission posts are at-large, meaning registered voters across Weber County may cast ballots in the contests. Ballots are to be mailed starting Oct. 18 and the final day of voting is Nov. 8.