Ben Blomgren campaign priorities

No elected official should voluntarily hide information from residents unless confidentiality is required by law. I will not sign a voluntary nondisclosure agreement as a council member. Legal protections for personnel, litigation, and other genuinely protected matters must be respected, but secrecy should never be used simply to make a proposal easier to advance. Public trust grows when residents can see what is being considered, who is involved, and why a decision is being made.

The data center debate showed why major land-use decisions must be grounded in the comprehensive plan and communicated early. Large projects should receive a full public review of neighborhood compatibility, construction impacts, noise, water, electricity, roads, and long-term infrastructure costs before approvals move forward. I oppose changing the zoning rules to fit a single proposal, and I will insist on a process that treats residents as participants rather than obstacles. We certainly cannot let this situation happen again to this community.

Farmington cannot order a grocery store to open, but the city can become a strong and practical partner. That means identifying viable sites, maintaining clear zoning, responding quickly to prospective businesses, building community support, and considering carefully structured incentives when the public benefit justifies them. A grocery store is the kind of commercial investment residents would use every day, and recruiting one should be a serious economic-development priority.

Farmington will continue to grow, so the city needs a clear map for where residential, commercial, and industrial development belongs. The 2050 comprehensive plan should define future corridors, simplify zoning, and give residents, businesses, and developers predictable expectations. Good planning reduces conflict, protects neighborhoods, and makes it easier to welcome the right projects in the right places.

I will not vote to install, purchase, or contract for Flock cameras or similar automated license-plate surveillance systems within Farmington. Public safety matters, but a city should not normalize broad, warrantless collection of residents’ movements without compelling evidence, strict safeguards, and meaningful public consent. On this issue, my position is direct: I will vote no.

City staff provide professional expertise and manage day-to-day operations, but the elected council is responsible for setting the community’s direction. I support clear council goals, regular reporting, meaningful performance check-ins, and active oversight so staff work remains aligned with the priorities residents elected the council to pursue. That is engaged governance—not interference in routine administration.

Council members should come prepared, ask hard questions, communicate with residents, and follow through on commitments. Unanimity is not the goal; sound decisions are. I will bring independent judgment, encourage respectful disagreement, and resist rubber-stamping proposals simply because they arrive with a recommendation. Residents deserve to see real discussion before consequential votes are taken.