OGDEN, Utah — Just like he went back to his alma mater, DaVinci Academy, to become Dean of Students to help shape young minds and give them resources to succeed, Oscar Mata hopes to help his city by becoming mayor of Ogden.
“This is a turning point for Ogden city,” said Mata. “I think everyone is satisfied with where Ogden is, but everyone that I’ve talked to says there is so much more potential Ogden has here in the future.”
Mata believes in getting to know the people around him, focusing on creating community partnerships and fostering local growth.
“Especially with the growth that we have, a livable future is a really critical component that folks want to see,” said Mata. “Not only do they want to see apartments and condos built but they want to see green space, they want to see walkability, they want to see small businesses and restaurants pop up.”
Mata added that a big priority for him is safe neighborhoods. He said his experience owning a substance abuse treatment center and working with people from all over, can help with that goal.
“Bringing folks to the table who’ve gone through the process and being their advocate in the courts while also having the respect of our law enforcement and the courts and we could really ensure community policing, stronger programs in schools to help ensure that we have safe neighborhoods.”
The Ogden primary election for the mayoral seat is underway. It’s an open seat with seven candidates vying for the spot. The current mayor of Ogden city, Mike Caldwell, announced earlier this year that he would not run for re-election after this third term.
Every active voter in Ogden receives a ballot in the mail and all are eligible to vote in the mayoral race. The top two candidates from the primary election on Sept. 5, will face off in the general election on Nov. 21.
Ballots have already been sent out, so Utahns can cast their votes by or on primary election day, which is Sep. 5. Voters can also verify their voter registration, view a sample ballot and learn more about all the candidates at vote.utah.gov.
Ogden residents can vote in person at the Weber Center from Aug. 29 to Sep. 1 from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., and on election day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voters can also drop off their ballots at secure drop boxes 24/7 located at every city office, the county library, in the Weber Center parking lot and at Weber State University.
More information about Mata can be found on his campaign website.
