Guest opinion: Now is the time to get involved in local government
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- Ogden City Council member Angela Choberka.
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- Ogden City Council member Ken Richey.
Yes, you heard it right — we are asking you to get involved in the local municipal government elections for 2024. In Ogden, there are three council seats and a mayoral election occurring this year for service that begins in January 2024. Filing will begin this week from June 1 through June 7. If there are more than two candidates who have filed for a position, there will then be a primary election, which will occur on Aug. 15 (with mail-in ballots arriving after July 25.) And then the final general election will be held Nov. 7 (with mail-in ballots arriving after Oct. 17). You can find out more about the candidates and process at ogdencity.com/208/Election-Information.
Oftentimes, residents may think that what they want for their community does not seem important to elected officials because navigating local government can seem overwhelming and without much of a satisfying result in the end. It is important to understand how the roles are defined and how they work within the larger system we have at the local level.
Check out this candidate guide at bit.ly/3ISpziH for helpful overviews of what the mayor and council members are responsible for overall. And consider listening in or attending a council meeting to see what types of issues are arising and how your elected representatives respond. There are many ordinances the council considers each week that can impact you or your business directly. For example, people often question why the city has any say over how high a fence can be built on their property or how long grass is allowed to grow. Most of these types of regulations are put in place to help protect quality of life for everyone, but some may see it in another way. If you become engaged, you can help us as the council see more sides of the story.
During an election season, there can also be a sense of anxiety because you may not necessarily agree with the candidate your friends or neighbors support. But consider that just because you support one candidate, that does not necessarily mean you are against another. Your ideas and concerns may just align better with one candidate over another. There have already been some great examples of declared candidates working together on projects in the community as well as a mayoral debate that showed how the candidates can bring different perspectives and ideas to the table without behaving terribly toward one another. In the end, no one usually runs for office if they do not care deeply about Ogden — so respect should be given to those willing to do so.
Healthy, productive debate around issues that are important to us all, such as growth, transportation, potholes, budgetary items, social issues like supporting the unhoused and youth recreation, to name a few, are important to how we decide together to build our community. And this type of dialogue can only bring about a better outcome. So, learn about the candidates, go all in on supporting someone and tell everyone else to do the same. Now is the time to determine our future.
Angela Choberka and Ken Richey are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the Ogden City Council.