Local Government is the Best Government
Local funds and local control benefit Weber County
I worked with several Weber County Mayors to bring $72.6 M of state and federal funds to Weber County to build roads.
In November 2007 voters approved a Quarter Cent Local Option Sales Tax dedicated to construction of roads within Weber County. Twenty-five percent of the revenue is dedicated to corridor preservation, which generates approx $5M annually
Projects are submitted by the cities and county to the WACOG (Weber Area Council of Governments) transportation sub-committee for review. Potential projects are ranked based on a weighted criteria and other factors approved by WACOG. We also have the $10 vehicle registration fee that generates approx $3.5 M dedicated to the right-of-way acquisition projects. They must be regionally significant and on the Regional Transportation Plan.
Since 2008 we have distributed/programmed $34.1 M in local funds and received $72.6M from state and federal funds, totaling $106.7M in local projects to date.
The voters approved the tax and local government has developed a process to select the projects that have been able to attract the state and federal funding and to construct the much needed projects as Weber County continues to grow and develop.
I have worked diligently on the transportation needs of Weber County and I have seen a respectable amount of state and federal funding come into Weber County. These projects would be way down the list of state transportation projects and years away from being built without the local funds and the local control of where those funds are spent.
Good Government Brings Partners Together-Collaboration brings success
Public/Private Partnerships work!
Public Private Partnership’s success story is the Weber County Ski Bus, now in our third season. Originally, Weber County had been funding and operating the Ski Bus service for several years on a very limited scale due to lack of funding and inability to get our local transit system to participate. I think this was due to the fact that they did not believe that the ridership numbers existed to support the operation. Basically, it operated 3 months out of the year and was available only to tourists being transported between local hotels and ski resorts.
The county wanted to make the Ski Bus available to the all county residents. We formed a partnership between Ogden City, Weber County, UTA, Powder Mountain and Snow Basin. Each came to the table contributing a portion to cover operating costs and equipment. By the time we got the Ski Bus operating during its first year, it was too late in the season to effectively advertise, but we were pleasantly surprised by the response of the riders, and in the end we had a good year.
All the partners were willing to continue and we began a second season. By the end of the second year, we had doubled our ridership. To date in our third year we are up 18% from last year. This has required large amounts of time and willingness to partner, but the results have been rewarding and we have been able to offer a great service to our citizens.
Develop high paying private sector jobs through economic development
Weber County embarked on a new economic development direction focusing on more high-paying jobs, a better trained workforce, support for existing businesses, and providing resources to all our cities.
- We facilitated a resolution to upgrade and improve the power supply enabling a local business to pursue their expansion goals, allowing for 135 jobs and $7-$10M in investment. This will open the way for future business growth, industrial growth and development, which meets a long time strategic development goal of Weber County to have a western Weber industrial park.
- Weber County is participating in a certified work ready pilot program with the state of Utah to ensure a well-educated workforce and to attract higher wage businesses.
- Another important focus is to create a balance between seeking new businesses and looking after our existing businesses who provide stability to our economy.
Smart Leadership = Fiscal Responsibility
Fiscal Responsibility and Smart Leadership empower private non-profits. We can continue to care for those in need without raising taxes.
We have just saved $4M in potential costs to the citizens of Weber County!
Several months ago, I was asked to put together a community board to help an organization called PAAG. PAAG is a private non-profit that provides housing for 101 chronic and persistently mentally ill individuals in Weber County. Many of the residents have lived in the same area for years. PAAG was providing a critical service in the community but due to changes in medicaid funding, PAAG was on the brink of closing. Had PAAG closed, the cost to the citizens would have been $4M annually.
With good leadership, relationships of trust, and by working with community leaders, legislators and state agencies, we have been able to find funds to allow PAAG to continue to fulfill its mission to provide housing for those who would otherwise be homeless. We have and will continue to care for those in need without raising taxes.
"Davis and Weber teams count the homeless"
http://www.standard.net/stories/2014/02/06/davis-and-weber-teams-count-homeless
http://www.standard.net/stories/2014/02/06/davis-and-weber-teams-count-homeless
Responsive Government = Ordinances by the people - for the people
I believe it is important to incorporate a strong level of public involvement in our ordinance process. As we embarked on the huge process of developing ordinances to guide the development of resorts in our valley, we began by holding regularly scheduled community planning meetings.
I chaired a committee which included Ogden Valley planning commissioners, resort owners, community members, and Forest Service representatives. We dealt with all aspects of the development from density to transportation. There was a lot of listening, communicating and then acting on this information.
After months of hard work, we were successful in creating a recreation resort ordinance that would produce the development that the citizens in the valley could support, protect the resources, and generate revenue. It is an ordinance that can be used for years to come. We are just now beginning that same process as we revisit the Ogden Valley Master Plan, and we expect great results!
I chaired a committee which included Ogden Valley planning commissioners, resort owners, community members, and Forest Service representatives. We dealt with all aspects of the development from density to transportation. There was a lot of listening, communicating and then acting on this information.
After months of hard work, we were successful in creating a recreation resort ordinance that would produce the development that the citizens in the valley could support, protect the resources, and generate revenue. It is an ordinance that can be used for years to come. We are just now beginning that same process as we revisit the Ogden Valley Master Plan, and we expect great results!