Update Op-Ed

Recently I wrote the "Update" message for the West Valley Journal. There were a number of items and issues that I would have loved to address, but due to space limitations I wrote the following that was themed towards the challenges of a maturing urban city. It also encompasses my thoughts towards many eminent policy decisions from Animals to Zone Changes:

Progress as Promised

A message from Councilmember Corey Rushton

As you take a look around West Valley City you may have noticed the increasing blooming of orange construction cones and fences. The amount of growth and development in this once desolate and lonely region of the valley has been remarkable. It is hard to believe that over fifty years ago it was extremely difficult to obtain a home loan in this area because lenders thought that it was too remote of a location and would eventually be abandoned. However, it has been said many times and in many different ways that change does not necessarily assure progress, but progress implacably requires change. Progress and change is at the root of most issues and challenges we face as we continue to grow and mature as a city with its own identity.

I would like to point out three significant ways in which West Valley City is maintaining a small town sense of community and responsibility in the midst of a rapidly growing urbanized region. First, unlike many government entities, we have a balanced budget and have been consistently paying down city debt. Second, our city has done a great job in attracting and retaining businesses, in addition to having major employment centers. We are fortunate to have roughly the same number of jobs in West Valley City as we have working age adults. Finally, the FBI released crime statistics last week for major U.S. cities, and I was pleased to see that we experienced a decline in violent crimes last year. Considering the state of current economic challenges, I feel that we as a city are in a strong position to make continual strides of improvement.

In addition to all of this, I am thrilled at our city’s unmatched efforts in bringing people and communities together. The great inventor and innovator Henry Ford once noted that, “Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success. If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.” I also invite everyone to take inventory and reflect on how we can continue to bring our community together and enjoy the progress within your own lives and within West Valley City.