Let’s set the record straight.

Yes, the mayor and a group of three like-minded council members, who believed that putting 10,000 high-density high-rise apartments as per the State Street Master Plan and having a city manager pick Planning Commission members were bad ideas, had a 4-3 majority for two years. That’s how representative democracy works. Voters gave them a mandate and they delivered on promises to protect Orem’s family-centered values, push back against high-density development, and bring accountability to the planning and budgeting process.

But for the last two years, their opponents, endorsed by Stronger Together and funded by the same interests that have funded Brian King for governor, Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris, Obama and Hilary Clinton have had the 4-3 majority on the City Council since last year. Democrats know they can’t win in a city that is overwhelmingly Republican, so they funneled money through Stronger Together and other PACs. They’ve controlled the agenda, held the votes and are taking Orem in their direction. And while as a Republican I don’t agree with them, that’s their right to do so.

But now, Stronger Together and developers are not satisfied with a 4-3 majority. They want a 7-0 rubber stamp. They want total control, not to protect Orem residents, but to hand power back to bureaucrats, developers and special interest groups like Stronger Together, the Governing Group PAC and the far left donors who help fund them.

This isn’t about restoring balance. It’s about restoring the old power structure, where unelected staff, politically connected developers and outside money called the shots. And it’s being marketed to you under the false flag of “civility” and “unity.”

My hope and vision for our city is different.

Call me old fashioned, but I still believe elected representatives should listen to residents, not special interest groups. We need representatives who believe in protecting Orem’s neighborhoods, keeping taxes low and making public safety a priority. People who love Orem and believe Orem’s future should be decided by the people, not by PACs, planners or backroom deals.

So as you cast your ballot, ask yourself: Who’s really trying to take control? The people who gave you a voice or the ones now demanding a 7-0 majority funded by the very groups that want to “transform” Orem into something it was never meant to be?

Choose wisely. The future of Family City, USA, is on the line.

Mark Tippets is a resident of Orem.