As ballots go out to residents this week and the Sept. 5 primary grows nearer, candidates are taking stock of what they’ve heard and seen from constituents along the campaign trail.

The candidates have addressed their views on housing, the airport, development in downtown Ogden and the the inner workings of city government, but there’s a litany of issues on the minds of voters too numerous to fully explore in one election cycle. That is why the Standard-Examiner has asked the candidates: What are the issues you’re hearing about from voters that aren’t being sufficiently addressed and how do you intend to highlight them?

The following responses are in the candidates’ own words and were solicited weeks in advance.

Chris Barragan

“I’m hearing a myriad of issues but one that comes up quite a bit is: How will you be engaged in the community?

“Fortunately this is one that is at the core of my candidacy. I am present for Ogden. I do my best each and every day to show up for our community. Whether it’s serving at the My Hometown service projects, attending the Juneteenth celebration or rooting on the Tigers at an Ogden High football game, I am all in. In fact coming up on August 5th we’re hosting an event that will bring cast members from The Sandlot back to Ogden for the first time in 30 years. It will be a charity baseball game benefiting Utah Parent Center. It’s my goal as mayor to not only be here for all of our community but to create opportunities for all of us to come together.”

Bart Blair

“The number one issue that surfaces over and over as I am talking with Ogden residents, is the need to maintain our streets and roads. This is followed closely by our need to make sure we have an adequate and healthy water supply. Ogden has been fortunate to have received federal and state funding to help with repairing and maintaining our roads and water systems over the past few years, however, these funds are not ongoing. Meaning we don’t receive these funds every year. As we move forward, there will be a great need to not only fix our aging infrastructure, but also maximize revenue funding for these specific projects. This funding cannot be placed on the backs of our residents through increasing property taxes. Rethinking how our capital projects are prioritized will help focus our budgets to not only fix our aging infrastructure but will develop an overall infrastructure system as we continue to grow.”

Angel Castillo

“I hear constantly that inflation, housing costs, and taxes worry our community. That’s not acceptable. We deserve a government that values our freedoms and works for US. We work hard and deserve clean air, water, and a place to call home. As mayor, I commit to develop affordable homes at $250k and help 120 hardworking residents own those homes by 2025. We need to control our budget, use city property for affordable home ownership, and stop funding corporate welfare for a select few developers. Together, we’ll rewrite the rules to hold government accountable; a fair Ogden for ALL. Join me on September 5th to shape Ogden’s future, and vote Angel Castillo for Ogden mayor. Let’s do this.”

Jon Greiner

“The primary issues I hear from Ogden residents, in talking with them, are: First, infrastructure and roads. The roads and potholes are a particularly troubling issue with the residents in the Northeast parts of the city. I address this infrastructure and road issue on my most recent podcast with Senator John Johnson at my website. The second big issue is property taxes. Although the city has reduced its certified tax rate from .002267 in 2022 to .002239 in 2023, I think there is still room for more improvement. Using the long-tested principles of Kiezen Lean management, we should be looking at the city budget for savings and reduction opportunities to help increase the allocation amount to the infrastructure needs of the city and reducing taxes.”

Taylor Knuth

“Nothing is more important than ensuring the safety of our community, and public safety is an issue that I hear about daily. Our administration will prioritize policies to ensure residents are safe, and feel safe, while addressing the root causes of crime.

“We will emphasize community policing, building upon the relationship between law enforcement and the neighborhoods they serve. This will foster trust, open communication, and prevent crime. We will also take measures to make our streets safer, such as more midblock crosswalks, enhanced street lighting, and increased compensation for crosswalk employees.

“We have made strides toward a safer community, and we can always do better. I look forward to exploring more ideas with our community and getting back to the basics of good government, starting with public safety.”

Oscar Mata

“Ogden’s status as a food desert has been a significant concern among voters. Our failure to ensure our citizens have adequate access to healthy food disproportionately impacts our youth and senior citizens. I propose a community-run cooperative, combining urban farming initiatives, and bringing in a private grocery partner to boost local food accessibility. More importantly, we’ll review our zoning code to encourage more urban farming, transforming currently unused spaces into productive natural areas. Together, we will reshape Ogden’s food landscape for the better.”

Ben Nadolski

“Our community needs strong, reliable and well-maintained infrastructure, including high-speed internet, roads, sidewalks, culinary water, sewer, stormwater, curbs and gutters. As Mayor I will keep our infrastructure master plans up to date to identify our most urgent issues, while also planning for our long-term needs. I will reduce tax burdens by implementing fair market principles through a transparent and competitive bid process when planning economic development projects. I’ll also prioritize collaboration and partnerships that synchronize development projects with our infrastructure needs, while leveraging still untapped regional, state and federal grants. Finally, I will work with third party providers to facilitate low impact, affordable and reliable high speed internet for Ogden. The longer we wait to make these investments, the more expensive they’ll become.”