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OGDEN — If some homeowners get their way, the creation of a new city could be on the ballot this November.
Homeowners in Ogden Valley say they're not getting the representation they need through the county.
"I feel like we don't have a voice in Ogden Valley," said Shanna Francis.
Francis says decisions that impact the community are too often being made by people on the other end of Weber County.
"Often we don't have one member of the three commissioners that's from the valley," she said. "And if we do, it's only one."
She isn't the only one in the community who feels this way.
"It's just a little community and we'd like to try and have some say in the community," said Mark Ferrin.
A push for a new city
So, Ferrin and Francis are behind an effort to incorporate the area into a new city with the proposed name of Ogden Valley.
"Our issues are much different than what are found on the other side of the mountain," Francis said.
Among those issues is the growth of communities, primarily focused on tourism. A lot of construction in the area involves vacation homes and condos.
"It's just a little tiny valley and to bring roads and sewers and water lines and everything else," Ferrin said, "is an expensive proposition that requires lots of people paying lots of money."
A feasibility study
A feasibility study by the lieutenant governor's office shows the new city would bring a tax surplus of about 5%.
A similar effort was pushed in the area two decades ago. However, they believe this time it could work as communities here are more unified and many people share common concerns.
"I just think this valley, maybe because of its geography and geology," Ferrin said, "it's probably more united, probably more harmonious and probably easier to see each other."
For more information on the push for a new city, click here.
