During our interviews that lasted about an hour in each case, we asked many of the same questions to get as clear an idea as possible of how they view the issues facing the city. It was fascinating to listen to their perspectives, to see the many things that they agreed on and the few they disagreed on.

The Standard-Examiner editorial board first wants to express appreciation to all of the candidates for their willingness to step forward and take the time to answer all of our questions. We hope our efforts to effectively share their responses on the front page of our publication during the last few weeks have been fair and equitable.

Now that we have had a chance to feature each of the candidates, however, it’s time for us to express our opinion on what direction we believe voters in Ogden should go.

Each candidate brings their own unique skills to the table. They are residents, business owners, volunteers and organizers. Each had strengths that we got to see, with their energy, enthusiasm and willingness to serve.

But the reality is that there is one quality that is difficult to replicate: city council experience.

Trying to work with four other city council representatives as well as a mayor, city administration, legal regulations and the public is a substantial challenge. It will almost always take considerable time for someone new to the role to be able to figure out how to navigate all the nuances.

Sometimes, though, voting in a new city council member is the right thing to do, either because the incumbent isn’t seeking reelection (like in District 1 this year) or because citizens have concerns about the direction the city is going.

In our view, that is not the case for Ogden in 2025.

We believe the current City Council has worked well with Mayor Ben Nadolski to elevate public safety and move forward on long-term projects that need to be completed. It has clear economic objectives it is pushing to reach while also working to find a balance between public and private needs.

There are still issues to be addressed — including the ongoing challenge of managing growth and finding ways to best aid the unhoused population — but we see the incumbent candidates as being best positioned to make decisions that will benefit Ogden moving forward.

Those reasons are why the Standard-Examiner Editorial Board is endorsing Ken Richey in the District 3 race, Marcia White in the At-Large Seat A race and Bart Blair in the At-Large Seat B race.

In the final race in District 1, we are endorsing Flor Lopez, who we believe will bring a valuable voice to the council with her experience in small business and working with government programs as well as having strong connections to the community.

Regardless of who wins the election, we believe that Ogden City will have dedicated individuals who will do their best for residents in their city council positions and we look forward to seeing the next steps that will be taken to chart the course for our area.

Finally, we acknowledge that the decision is in your hands, voters.

We encourage you to do your research, get to know the candidates and then make the best choices you can as you submit your ballots.

Remember that voters may opt in to voting by mail or show up at vote center and be issued a paper ballot in person. Ballots through the mail must be in the election office by 8 p.m. on Election Day (Nov. 4) to be counted. Ballots returned to a drop box are collected regularly by Election’s Staff and taken directly to the Election’s Office for processing.

To find the location of a ballot drop box or a location for in-person voting, go to http://weberelections.gov.