It's official. Hooper is now the eighth largest municipality among the 15 municipalities in Weber County. The new town has an estimated population of 4,700 residents.
Voters in Hooper approved an incorporation process Monday with 57 percent of those going to the polls favoring the new town. The controversial issue lured 52 percent, or 1,144 of the 2,170 registered voters, to the polls. There were 647 voters in favor and 489 against the incorporation.However, Washington Terrace voters turned down a $2 million general obligation bond proposal to fund a new city hall in a separate vote Monday. With 27 percent of the voters turning out, only 280 or 23 percent were for the bond and 879 or 77 percent were against it. The city's current city hall is 50 years old and considered cramped.
Washington Terrace voters did approve $5 million in general obligation bonds for citywide road improvements, though. A total of 660 voters or 55 percent voted for the road projects.
Hooper voters also selected their form of government Monday, with 45 percent choosing a council/mayor form of government -- like the majority of other Utah cities. A city council-only form of government had the next highest vote tally at 40 percent.
According to the Weber County clerk/auditor's office, Hooper must now set a public meeting to decide how many council members it will have, as well as the filing period and other specifics for mayor and council candidates. A date for that meeting is pending, but it must be held within the next 45 days.
If a primary election is needed for candidates, that will be held on Aug. 8. Otherwise, the general election will be on Nov. 7.
Hooper voters also overwhelmingly approved an election by district system with 974 voters, or 88 percent saying yes. That means city council members would represent a specific section of the city.
Some Hooper residents are still concerned about the lack of a tax base to aid the city financially.
About one-third of Hooper is actually in Davis County and that section is unaffected by this vote and will remain unincorporated.
Hooper also includes Fremont Island in its official borders, making the new town the only municipality in Utah to have its own island.
Fremont Island is located about six miles west of Hooper, in the Great Salt Lake. The 2,943-acre island is about six miles long and two miles wide. It is privately owned and used for sheep grazing, but has also been for sale since 1997 at $3 million.
You can reach Lynn Arave by e-mail at lynn@desnews.com