PROVIDENCE — Nate Worthen, a candidate for Providence City Council, joined KVNU’s For the People on Wednesday afternoon to share his campaign priorities ahead of next week’s municipal election. Worthen discussed his motivations for his candidacy, as well as his vision for the city’s future, with a focus on responsible planning, civic engagement, and transparency.
Worthen said that his decision to run was inspired by a challenge given in a weekly men’s group.
“We met earlier this year and we kind of sat around and said, ‘Hey, let’s all do an impossible goal,’” he said. “We’ve got a guy doing an Ironman [race]. We’ve got another guy writing a book. [I’m] running for city council.”
Though new to public service, Worthen has spent months walking the city and knocking on over 2,500 doors. Those conversations and experiences have formed his top priorities: improving public engagement, slowing traffic to protect pedestrians, and addressing housing needs with careful planning.
“We’ve got to turn our council meetings into collaborations,” Worthen said. “Residents are at the top of the org chart. We work for them.”
Worthen emphasized the need to slow traffic in Providence, citing safety concerns for pedestrians and children. He also called for more intentional housing development, noting that once land is developed, it cannot be undone.
“We’re in a housing crunch,” Worthen said. “We’ve got to build stuff in the right place because we can’t tear it down and we can’t go back. So for us in Providence, that means putting high density housing in the right locations.”
On the issue of the Cache County Library, Worthen voiced strong opposition to proposed funding cuts.
“It’s got a lot of books. It’s got a lot of knowledge, and it helps a lot of people,” he said. “Providence City actually owns that building and we rent it to the county library system for $1 a year because we, as a city, believe in that facility.”
Worthen’s campaign also highlights transparency and open government. He advocates for more accessible public meetings and informal gatherings to foster dialogue between residents and city leaders. He shared a recent example of hosting an event with a free taco truck where residents raised concerns about a proposed inpatient treatment facility. Worthen said the informal setting allowed for meaningful discussion and helped build understanding.
“I think maybe we’ve gotten a little bit away from what the residents envision our city to be, and that’s my call to action,” Worthen said. “Let’s listen to them.”