Ogden’s leadership crisis: Why optics are failing our community
Guest column by Kari Harbath
OP-ED | OPINION
I woke up to mom rumbling in her urn. So it felt like the time to write this.
I’ve watched Ogden City Council religiously for four years from my couch, chillin’ with my daughter, Sloan. And last night was a tough one.
Dan Martinez, my dear friend and a brown man, spoke passionately — something community members have every right to do (also known as free speech). Mid-Dan’s speech, Council Member Dave Graf, a white man in council leadership (also known as power), told Dan to change his tone with Council Member Flor Lopez. Dave Graf never asked Flor for her input or asked if she’d like to speak to Dan with her own truth. This was a great example of Dave disregarding the voices of both Flor and Dan, no matter their takes on the issue.
Dave’s behavior was a great example of using elected power to silence a minority and person you don’t agree with. Because the message was simple and clear: this brown man (Dan) is scary, and the white powerful man on the dais (Dave) will call the shots. (Watch it yourself — you decide.)
Then — continuing in the spirit of experiences that validate the level of unprofessionalism from Ogden leaders — I’ve watched Mayor Nadolski ignore me as I proactively said hello, just to turn around and pat my daughter Sloan on the back for a photo. I learned a council member, Jeremy Peterson, blocked me on Facebook as I was literally sitting at Primary Children’s Hospital with my daughter Sloan — simply because he thinks I’m part of some big liberal conspiracy in Ogden. I don’t know Jeremy and he doesn’t know me. It’s just this weird paranoia among some of these Ogden politicians.
Our leadership in Ogden is choosing optics over people right now. And when the mayor used the statement “quick to listen, slow to speak,” last night — I’d love to follow up with this: is that what happened for the man detained by ICE? Did anyone listen to him before speaking or acting? Is that what happened for Dan at last night’s city council meeting? Where was the listening ear?
To be clear: I’m not the angry, widowed mom of a kid with disabilities with no professional experience these officials think I am. I personally take pride in leading with kindness, empathy, and seeing nuance in lived experiences. I’ve run communications for big companies and crises. And I face very personal and cruel backlash on my own social media and advocacy work often. But I know this backlash comes with a balance — because I’m taking steps to create community and build better systems.
If you’re a real leader, you know there will always be major backlash in the meaningful, hard work.
So I’m truly in awe of how our city leaders can’t handle criticism without making a martyr of themselves. It’s unfortunate, this clear lack of leadership in our most trying times as a community.
Changing gears, I think about how last night happened in a wonderfully comfortable air-conditioned room — with council leadership and administration peering down at Ogdenites from the platform of the dais — while there’s a man (who wasn’t a criminal) that was stalked and taken by ICE last week because of the color of his skin.
And then he was shipped to California with the frivolity of an Amazon package.
This man’s life is shattered. He’s now separated from his family. And as Arlene Anderson mentioned — he was kidnapped by ICE just a day before his daughter’s birthday.
Many of us had the chance to go home to our own kids last night. He did not.
And damn. Shouldn’t THAT be the real focus of the night?
Instead, we have an administration and city council who largely still continue to be more concerned about tone, optics, and the social media of it all. Whether that’s the optics of our police force, administration, or council members themselves. All public-facing roles. Ogden even watched as our mayor posted a video of him eating a burger just a couple days after the horrific ICE incident — no updates or words directly from him on the safety of Ogden in the interim.
Is this real leadership? I’d like my mayor showing up for the hard stuff. Not documenting lunch.
I’m against ICE and what it’s doing to families right now. I’m against what it’s doing to the disabled community. And I’m against the problem underneath all of it: Ogden is more divided than ever. This administration has offered nothing real to bring us back together. No plan of any kind. No leadership. Just a slap on the wrist…Again.
Ogden doesn’t always feel like home to me anymore, I’ve lost a lot of trust in the systems and people I once cared for here. But I still stand with Ogdenites. I still listen when my Ogdenite mom’s urn shakes and tells me to say something. And I just wish more people up on that dais cared as much about ALL Ogdenites as they do about how they’re perceived.
Ultimately, what’s already happening in Ogden - and behavior from this administration - is now mirroring what’s happening on a national scale. Clearly they don’t make federal laws. But they can make change on a local level. Whether that’s harmful change: like silencing someone, inventing laws on the spot to generate more mistrust from true lies, or expressing disgust over free speech rights. Or that’s positive change: like simply listening to the community and protecting it.
After all, protecting and representing the community is the job they signed up for. Even if they don’t like it. It’s time we continue to remind our leaders they need to show up. Ogdenites must keep showing up to city council, continue speaking up, and never let power or silence push us into a state of immobility and fear.
Photo taken in August, 2023 at Ogden’s inclusive ballgame, hosted by The Barragan family, of Ogdenites and some of Ogden’s leaders — including now-Mayor Nadolski. “seen in one place, joyful, happy, uplifting one another and honoring community. This is how it felt then, and how I (Kari) think it should still feel now.” Provided by Kari Harbath
Kari Harbath is an Ogden resident and advocate of minorities and people with disabilities.
Editor’s Note: Guest columns and op-eds reflect the personal views and analysis of the individual author and do not necessarily represent the editorial position of The Ogdenite. The Ogdenite is committed to providing a forum for diverse community perspectives. To submit a guest column or respond to this piece, email editor@theogdenite.com.