As the creation of one of Utah’s newest cities looms, debate and questions about the viability of the Weber County locale are percolating among some.
Initial anticipated tax inflows for the new Ogden Valley locale, for one thing, won’t be as high as earlier predicted, raising questions about how the city will cover the cost of providing services. “It’s a fact of life that most cities will take some time before they’re on really predictable and stable financial footing,” said Kay Hoogland, an incorporation booster who’s also running in November elections for a seat on the new city’s City Council.
It’s got Laura Warburton, another City Council hopeful and outspoken critic of incorporation, warning with chagrin that taxes may have to be raised. She issued a call earlier this week to Ogden Valley residents to reach out to Utah Lt. Gov. Deirdre Henderson to draw attention to what she believes to be some of the concerning aspects of the incorporation process, including financing of the new city. Henderson’s office oversees the incorporation of new locales in Utah.
“It is becoming clear that we are falling short of legal feasibility,” Warburton said on Wednesday in a message she sent to those who follow her Facebook page, Ogden Valley Citizens. “This is not fear-mongering. We have to look at the facts.”
Hoogland and Janet Wampler, an Ogden Valley mayoral hopeful, however, view the challenges in creating a new city as to be expected when carrying out such a complex undertaking. What’s more, while revenue may not end up being as high as anticipated, Wampler also noted that expected expenses are still in flux.
“What we don’t know, currently, are what our expenses are going to be. So it’s not correct for anyone to lead off with, ‘We’re not feasible, we’re not viable.’ We don’t know that yet,” she said. “We do know that revenue projections were incorrect, but that’s only part of the equation.”
Hoogland said financial advisers to the contingent helping lay the groundwork for the new city say it usually takes three years or more before a new city starts “operating in the black,” that is, generates enough revenue to cover expenses.
“So we are not in an unusual posture. And also, I do believe in the talent of the residents, which is immeasurable,” she said. “Let’s elect smart people with business acumen who know how to manage big budgets. I have a corporate background as well as legal, and I am confident we can manage the budget.”
Wampler and Shanna Francis are the two mayoral hopefuls for the new city. Hoogland and Fred Blickle III are facing off for the District 3 City Council seat while Warburton and Chad Booth are vying for the District 4 City Council seat.
Ogden Valley residents voted overwhelmingly last year to incorporate the picturesque, 63.3-square-mile expanse encompassing the Eden, Liberty and Wolf Creek areas on the Wasatch Back in the eastern part of Weber County. The area is home to around 7,600 people. Dissatisfaction with Weber County commissioners, the elected officials who have represented the unincorporated area, and a desire to give locals more control over the zone’s future amid increasing development pressure spurred incorporation boosters.
Next comes selection of a mayor and five City Council members in voting that culminates Nov. 4 followed by official creation of the city early next January.
‘Grace and understanding’
While financing of the city has been one focus of debate, another has been creating the framework to provide all the municipal services for the Ogden Valley area, including planning and zoning, police protection, road maintenance, snow removal and court operations. Several work groups have been created to zero in on the varied alternatives ahead of the city’s formation, but some worry there won’t be enough time to create the required city services by next January.
“They’re going to need to have all the contracts in place, and I’m not sure they can get that done in time,” said Shane Dunleavy, an Ogden Valley developer and resident.
He’s been skeptical of the incorporation process and fears his development projects could stall if city surveyors, inspectors and others who oversee new development aren’t in place when the city officially materializes. “If the city incorporates, yet they are unable to provide services, it will leave many of us in a position where our businesses will immediately start to sustain damages and will be forced to file litigation that we really do not want to file,” he said.
Both he and Warburton point to what they believe to be chilly relations between some in the county and leaders of the new locale as another potential stumbling block. Contracting with Weber County to help with some operations, at least initially, would be one mechanism to provide certain city services, but frosty relations, they fear, could stymy such cooperation.
Indeed, some county officials expressed a measure of exasperation with Ogden Valley city boosters during an Aug. 18 Weber County Commission work session. Commissioner Gage Froerer, for one, questioned whether the slate of leaders for the new city would manage.
“It’ll be a period of time, three, four or five, maybe six months, when they realize, hey, they just don’t have a clue of the services that are required. And I think at that point in time, the citizens will say, ‘You guys have got to get your act together,’ which then they’ll come back to us at some point,” Froerer said.
At the same time, two lawsuits filed by incorporation boosters against county officials over development issues are still winding through 2nd District Court.
Hoogland, though, thinks talk of animosities between the two sides is “overstated” and said Ogden Valley reps have been communicating with their Weber County counterparts on possible areas of cooperation.
“We all need to give each other grace and understanding and also at the same time be prepared to serve our common constituents,” she said.