Weber State students help guide Utah’s newest city
OGDEN, Utah — As Weber County’s new municipality, Ogden Valley City, was formed, Professor of Political Science Gary Johnson saw a prime opportunity for his state and local government students.
Residents of the Ogden Valley — which encompasses eastern Huntsville, Eden, Nordic, Liberty, and surrounding areas — voted to incorporate as a city in November 2024. The city was established in January 2026. City council member Kay Hoogland said the time between the vote and incorporation involved extensive planning and research.
“And lo and behold, Dr. Gary Johnson’s political science class was already doing the work,” said Hoogland, who provided an overview of the incorporation process to the class.
Throughout the fall 2025 semester, the class produced an 86-page report for the city with recommendations on dark sky preservation, taxation, and more.
Hoogland calls the report a “treasure trove” of research, ideas, and insights.
“It’s a pretty rare thing to be on the ground floor of a new municipality being created, and the opportunity to make recommendations on environmental issues, form of government, and municipal ordinances was great for the students,” Johnson said.
One way the city has used the report is to inform a citizen advisory committee on dark skies. According to the report, establishing nearby North Fork Park as the centerpiece of a “Dark Sky Park and Observatory initiative” would leverage an existing International Dark Sky status to promote education, tourism, and light-pollution reduction.
Hoogland praises the assignment for offering hands-on experience. “It’s not just political science from a book. It’s studying municipal governance from the get-go,” she said.
Mia Foster, one of Johnson’s students in the class and a recent WSU graduate, called it “awesome.” She said one class each week was spent working on the report, while the other was dedicated to learning about government and applying those lessons.
Her work on the report included creating a model city charter, which could help the city define governmental roles, procedures, and more. She later participated in creating a survey regarding the new city’s name.
Foster said she changed majors several times through college, but the report and other hands-on experiences helped validate that political science was right for her. “I know I can make things happen because of Weber State and the political science department,” she said. Foster plans to further her education with a master’s degree in public administration.
Ogden Valley City’s Naming Debate
While Ogden Valley City was selected as the name upon incorporation, Hoogland said the city council has learned from online posts that not everyone is happy with it.
The debate over the city name gave Foster the chance to dive even further into research by surveying residents on the city’s name during spring 2026.
Using Qualtrics, a cloud-based platform, Foster initiated an anonymous survey of Ogden Valley City residents. She worked with a survey committee and the city created to develop questions, and word spread through flyers she created, the city website, and local media.
Foster said the questions received over 2,000 responses each.
With Johnson at her side, she recently presented the data to the city council.
“Watching students present research and be recognized for their hard work is one of the most rewarding and best feel-good moments in academia,” said Johnson, a mentor to Foster throughout her degree. “The council members and mayor, and their staff, all expressed how much they enjoyed working with Mia and the quality of her work.”
Hoogland said the survey research, which showed Eden being a top choice, led to a constructive discussion about the community’s name.
For now, it will remain Ogden Valley City. “I live in Eden. Other people, however, live in Liberty, Nordic, and eastern Huntsville.” she said. “At this point, imposing one name on all of these other communities was not unifying. Weber State grad and City Council Member Chad Booth summed it up well when he said we first really need to come together as a community with a common vision and then revisit the name.”
Hoogland thanks WSU for helping make it an informed choice. “They got us some very good information that was helpful in reaching this municipal decision,” she said.
Career Opportunities With City Government
Along with political science, Hoogland lists business, engineering, and communication as fields that could help students find their place in city government.
“I could go through every area of the university and say ‘that’s relevant here,’ she said.
For anyone interested in a career in city government, she recommends getting involved before graduation through volunteering, internships, and opportunities like those in Johnson’s class.
She said the city is now working with WSU to create more opportunities, including internships and more projects with students enrolled in Johnson’s classes
Two WSU alumni serve on the Ogden Valley City Council: Tia Shaw (District 1) and Chad Booth (District 4).
Jaime Winston, Marketing & Communications
- Contact:
Rachel Badali, Public Relations Director
801-626-7948, rachelbadali@weber.edu