Mayors Message – July 2023

Our small-town feel is what makes Tremonton special.  I hear this over and over from our residents.  We are a neighborly, family-friendly community, focused on caring for one another, on providing an environment of safety, and one of peace.   My mother once told me that she wanted to live in a community “Where people hear about you when you are born, and care about you when you die.”   The peace and quiet of our rural setting are important to us and our agricultural heritage is why so many of us love it here.

Tremonton is growing, we all know that.  The question in my mind is, can we continue to build a healthy community through smart and intentional growth?   One resident recently commented, “I think we need to be forward-thinking about what we want our community to look like and what values we want to hold onto.  We have an incredible agricultural heritage… there are many good people coming here, and I am glad to welcome them, but I think we need to slow down and be more responsible about what we want growth to look like.”

I agree with this statement, perhaps you do also.

In a recent survey conducted by Utah State University, participants from many towns and cities across Utah, including Tremonton, participated in the Utah Wellbeing Project.  City residents were asked in the survey about their connection to their communities.  They were asked to provide information that would help researchers assess the wellbeing and local perspectives of city residents.  Tremonton residents were asked where their moderate or major concerns were in the city.  Water supply led the list with 91% of respondents expressing moderate or major concerns, followed by roads (84%), affordable housing (79%), and public safety (77%).   When asked about the degree they feel connected to their community, only 31% felt strongly connected to Tremonton.  These are all numbers we must improve on.

I believe we have the opportunity, right here, right now to address ways we can preserve what we love about our community for generations to come.

The proposed new police officers and planner will certainly help our community be safer and help us grow in a reasonable way, but research shows a healthy community depends on all of us.

I hope that folks who choose to live here find ways they can become involved.  To participate in our community events like the Farmers Market, Hay Days, community sports events, or the county fair.  To reach out and get to know their neighbors. Organize neighborhood events. Have a BBQ and invite your neighbors and friends.

With a job, family responsibilities, hobbies, and school, how do we make time for civic involvement?  The good news according to Ilona Lodewijckx author of How to be an Engaged Citizen, participation doesn’t need to be time consuming or difficult.  There are many things all of us can do to make our community better.  Some of them require minimal effort but with such a tangible impact on our community, how could we call them small things?

Here are some simple ways we can all make our community a better place to live for all of us.

1.      Stay up to date on local politics – get involved.  It’s one thing to complain on social media or to your friend about something you don’t like, it’s quite another to be part of the solution.

2.      Volunteer.  There are many ways each of us can volunteer. Every small act of volunteering goes a long way.

3.      Share your ideas.  Come to council meetings.  Call the Mayor.  We want to hear your ideas and concerns.

4.      VOTE.  We have eight candidates vying this year for three city council seats.  These are good folks who are willing to serve our community.  Each one has much to offer.  Take time to learn about them.  And, take time to vote.

5.      Create space for others.  Get informed on topics that don’t affect you directly, and create space for voices that aren’t heard as often in your community.

6.      Visit the library with your children or grandchildren.  Learn about the rich history of Tremonton and Box Elder County.

7.      Support local.  Visit the local farm stand this summer to enjoy fresh produce or visit our Farmers Market, try spending your hard-earned money at a local business. It’ll make our community flourish!

8.      Be a good neighbor.  Recently, Tremonton police officers, Detective Bartold and Officer Hassard stopped to support this young entrepreneur at her snow cone business in Tremonton.  As the officers attempted to pay, she refused.  Both Detectives insisted, but young Allee stood her ground and said she would not allow it.  When they asked why, she replied, “I want to help because you are short-staffed.”

“This is the type of heartwarming love and community support that makes our community special.  I am proud of my officers and simply amazed by young Allee.”

~Chief Cordova

One of the main reasons people choose to live here are not only the strong job market, but the down-to-earth welcoming feel of our community.  A place where we share something in common, care for one another, have core values, and share concerns for our community.

We have problems, what community doesn’t?  We will face our concerns head on, whether they are roads, water supply, affordable housing, or public safety.

As we work on these issues and others together, we will all be part of the solutions that will make Tremonton a special place all of us can be proud to call home.