Mayor Janet Wampler

A Strong Start: Our City’s First Quarter in Review
By Mayor Janet Wampler - 28 March 2026

As we close out the first quarter of our city’s inaugural year, I want to take a moment to reflect on what has been an extraordinary and fast-paced beginning. From the moment your elected officials were sworn in, we have been working at a breakneck pace to build the foundation of a fully functioning city government—one that serves our residents efficiently, transparently, and responsibly.

In just three months, we have accomplished a tremendous amount. We adopted our Municipal Code, established key contracts with attorneys, engineers, planning, a city Treasurer, Recorder, IT Director, and appointed the Planning Commission. We have also put in place essential services, including public works contracts, business licensing, special events permitting, animal control, and all necessary interlocal agreements. We relocated our Justice Court to Washington Terrace, improving convenience and accessibility for our residents.

Through careful negotiation, we secured agreements for deferred payments and interest-free loans, allowing us to manage early financial pressures responsibly. The passage of the Municipal Energy Tax (MET) enabled us to secure a bank loan for necessary gap funding as we continue to build our financial framework. We applied for and were awarded $175,000.00 in grant funding, which will help finance the development of our new General Plan and Transportation Master Plan—critical tools for guiding our city’s future growth.

Both the City Council and Planning Commission have completed all state required training,  and are meeting weekly to conduct the business of the city. We established our city’s office and meeting space. We offer open office hours three days a week, have hosted multiple town halls, and have successfully launched our official .gov website, all with the objective to serve and inform residents. In addition, several advisory groups have been established to bring more community voices into the decision-making process.

Beyond internal operations, a significant portion of my role as Mayor involves managing external relations. I work closely with organizations and boards that directly impact our community, including law enforcement, fire services, regional councils, housing and solid waste subcommittees, transportation planning groups, and statewide municipal leadership organizations.

During Utah’s 45-day Legislative Session, I worked closely with the Utah League of Cities & Towns to monitor, amend, and successfully defeat several bills that could have negatively impacted our new city. At the same time, I have worked hard to establish a strong and positive relationship with Weber County, which has already proven beneficial to our residents through collaboration and support.

I meet regularly with fellow Weber County mayors to collaborate and share ideas. Representing our city at the state and federal levels has been an honor, including leading the Utah State House of Representatives in the Pledge of Allegiance and meeting with U.S Senator John Curtis to discuss how we can position our city for infrastructure support leading up to the Olympics.
 
Looking ahead to the second quarter, we expect the pace to remain just as demanding. Our primary focus will be on finance and planning. On the financial side, we will be building and adopting the FY27 Budget, welcoming our first significant revenue streams, and managing our first major financial obligations. On the planning side, we will work to adopt impact fees, finalize our land use code, and repeal the current moratorium. We also anticipate launching code enforcement efforts and, by the end of Q2, bringing resolution to the question of our city’s official name.

On behalf of the entire City Council, I encourage all residents to actively participate in your local government. An informed and engaged community leads to the best outcomes. Reach out to your representatives, submit public comments, attend meetings, ask questions, and share your ideas. Your voice matters, and we are here to listen.

We are all in this together. Let’s continue working to build a city we can all be proud of.