December 2023

Mayor's Message: December 2023

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Mayor Young and all of us here at the City of Orem. The city's Lights On ceremony was a perfect way to ring in the holiday season so be sure to go see the beautiful lights in City Center Park with your family and friends. It has been a fantastic year in Orem with so many positive things happening and we look forward to many more great things in 2024.

You can read the full message here.

City Council Message

from Councilmember Tom Macdonald

A heartfelt thank you to all those who serve in Orem – this message is for you.

I am continually inspired by so many who serve throughout the city. While some hold more visible positions, many good people quietly and selflessly support their neighbors in times of need without seeking any public praise.

With the recent elections now behind us, I'd like to extend my gratitude to Debby Lauret and Terry Peterson for their dedicated service.

I welcome back Jeff Lambson and extend a warm welcome to Jenn Gale and Chris Killpack as they join the team. I'm confident that they will do their utmost to serve all the citizens of Orem. While elections often emphasize our differences, it is now time to put that behind us and work together to make Orem ever better.

Speaking of making Orem ever better, there have been some incredible improvements and achievements over the past few years:

• Revamping the All-Together Playground
• The new Hillcrest Park
• Securing Orem’s water needs for generations through the construction of a 10 million gallon tank
• Decades of awards for sound fiscal management of city funds
• Construction of a new Library Hall, state-of-the-art recreation facility, and new City Center 
• Well-staffed, well-trained police and fire departments
• Recognition from several national organizations for the quality of our community
• Some of the lowest taxes and utility fees in Utah County
• Industry leading plastic recycling program
• The Orem CARE tax program and all the incredible groups and projects it supports such as the SCERA 

When I hear long lists like this of the many good things that have been accomplished in Orem, I am reminded that these achievements would not have been possible without the concerted efforts of our dedicated staff, elected officials, and you, our valued citizens, who generously volunteer your time and energy towards these worthwhile endeavors.

So, as we enter the holiday season, I thank each of you for the way you serve one another. I also encourage you to be yet more aware of those around you who may need a helping hand, a kind word, or some other lift. It truly does take a village. 

Thank you for being part of a great city.

Councilman Tom Macdonald

Election results were finalized on Tuesday, December 5th. Here are the final and official counts:

Jeffrey K. Lambson - 9,098

Jenn Gale - 8,606

Chris Killpack - 8,457

Crystal Muhlestein - 7,994

Matt McKell - 7,334

Spencer Rands - 5,883

Proposition #6 - Renewal of Orem CARE Tax program:

Yes - 10,528

No - 5,819

Congratulations to Jeff Lambson, Jenn Gale, and Chris Killpack. They will be sworn in on January 3rd, 2024 and serve in office from January 2024 to December 2027.

Thank you to all the candidates that participated in the City of Orem 2023 General Election.

We appreciate your willingness to be involved and serve our community.

Join us for the Swearing In of these new council members on January 3, 2024 @ 5 pm in the Orem Library Hall.

Lights On

The lights are on and the holiday spirit has been turned up to 11 in Orem! Thanks to everyone, including Santa Claus, for coming to our Lights On ceremony. The lights are on every day from 5-8 AM and 5-11 PM.

If you didn't get the chance to ride the Orem Express at our Lights On ceremony, do not fret. It will be back in City Center Park three more times before Christmas.

It will be making the rounds between the north pavilion and the south pavilion taking you along a magical holiday ride through the beautiful decorated park.

Unfortunately, Santa will not be around for these dates as he is busy preparing for his big night.

Come enjoy the park and the market and take a ride aboard the Orem Express!

Gold Star Family Monument Project

If you're looking for a local cause to support this year, please consider the Orem Gold Star Family monument.



At our Lights On ceremony, we heard from the Olsens, one of our Orem Gold Star families. The gold star designation is given to families that lose a family member in the armed forces in active combat. The gold star is meant to honor the sacrifice of the living.

Kim Olsen is the Gold Star mother of Lance Cpl. Nigel K. Olsen who died in combat in Afghanistan in 2010. Nigel grew up in Orem and was a graduate of Mountain View High School.



We are building this monument, which will be the first of its kind in Utah County, to make sure the sacrifices of our Orem Gold Star families are never forgotten and they will always have a place of honor in Orem.

Donations are 100% tax-deductible and can be made online here:

Over the past five years, the Orem Water Division has replaced approximately 24,000 water meters and converted them to an automated reading process.

What this means for you is that your meter will be read monthly--even in the winter months.

As such, you will now be billed for your water consumption on a monthly basis for each month of the year. Historically, your water meter was not read in the winter months, and your April water bill was much higher as a result. Water consumed during the winter months was billed all at once in April, but moving forward, this will no longer be the case.



There are still a small number of meters to install and connect to the automated meter reading system and we anticipate that will happen soon. Thank you for your patience and continued support as we near the successful completion of this monumental project!

AT THE OREM PUBLIC LIBRARY

Celebrate the holidays at the Orem Library! Our holiday concert series will feature favorite groups including the Utah Valley Handbell Choir, Cantorum, and Utah Vocal Arts Academy.

Other fun events include A Christmas Carol one-man show and Christmas classic movies for kids.

The library will be closed all day December 25–26.

LIBRARY EVENTS | LIBRARY NEWSLETTER

Orem is for Artists

A Message from the Orem Arts Council

Mike Ramsey from the Orem Arts Council here. I am constantly reminded of how lucky we are to live in such an amazing arts community with so much talent and artistic skill! In fact many times in the past I have had a hard time deciding from so many opportunities. Should I attend the Theatre? A Dance Performance? A Choir Concert? The Symphony? An Art Exhibit? A Band Performance or a plethora of other activities? Deciding what to experience in Orem may be difficult but what a great problem to have! December is full of art in Orem and I would hope that you all will join me in celebrating our community and the fine people sharing it with us!