Pieder Beeli is running for Ogden City Council, At Large-B, and is asking for your vote.

Ogden, Utah, a city nestled against the majestic Wasatch Mountains, has long been a beacon for adventurers, entrepreneurs, and those who cherish a unique blend of urban life and outdoor spirit. Among those who have fallen in love with Ogden’s distinct character is Pieder Beeli, a candidate running for Ogden City Council, At Large-B. His campaign is fueled by a deep passion for the community, a commitment to free enterprise, and a vision to create a vibrant, entrepreneurial city where citizens’ dreams can flourish. In this comprehensive profile, we explore Pieder Beeli’s background, his views on governance, his love for Ogden, and the principles that guide his campaign.

A Unique Background: From the Swiss Alps to Ogden’s Mountains

Pieder Beeli’s story begins far from the snow-capped peaks of Utah — in the Swiss Alps, where his father was born and raised. The name “Pieder,” a Swiss variant of Peter, reflects his European roots. This heritage is not just a footnote; it has profoundly shaped his passions and worldview. Growing up with a father who instilled a love for skiing and hiking, Pieder developed a lifelong connection to mountainous landscapes and outdoor adventure.

His journey from the Swiss Alps to Ogden represents more than a change of address; it’s a migration toward a community that mirrors the spirit and beauty of his homeland. Pieder fondly recounts his recent travels through Switzerland, from Nuremberg to Basel, where the alpine environment reminded him of Ogden’s own rugged terrain. He draws a direct parallel between the two places, noting that the mountains around Ogden offer a similar magic—a blend of challenge, adventure, and spiritual renewal.

The Appeal of Ogden: Affordable Living and Outdoor Lifestyle

One of the key reasons Pieder chose Ogden is the city’s affordability compared to other mountain resort towns like Aspen, Colorado. “I could buy a home here that was much cheaper,” he explains, highlighting the practical considerations alongside the natural allure of the area. This affordability allowed him to raise his children with a strong connection to the outdoors, homeschooling them to enable “100 days on the mountain a year.” Although his children ultimately chose a different path, embracing academics over ski bum life, Pieder’s dedication to fostering a love of nature in his family underscores his commitment to the community’s outdoor culture.

Beyond affordability, Pieder’s background as a physicist and electrical engineer with a PhD in physics adds an intriguing dimension to his persona. This academic rigor contrasts with the carefree image of a ski bum, creating a unique blend of intellect and adventure that he brings to his political aspirations.

The Philosophy Behind the Campaign: Free Enterprise and Community Empowerment

At the heart of Pieder Beeli’s campaign is a strong belief in the power of free enterprise and the entrepreneurial spirit as engines of community growth and prosperity. He articulates a philosophy that views profit not as greed, but as a “measure of one’s service to others” combined with self-sacrifice. This altruistic understanding of entrepreneurship, he argues, is often misunderstood or demonized in today’s political climate.

“There’s a magic to free enterprise. Profit in the free market is a measure of our service to others in addition to one’s self-sacrifice.”

Pieder emphasizes that entrepreneurs naturally seek to reduce costs and deliver exactly what customers want, fostering efficiency and innovation. This dynamic, he believes, is the organic antidote to government inefficiency and overreach. His critique of municipal government centers on its tendency to own and hold unused properties, such as houses left vacant for over a decade, which would never happen in a competitive free market where “flippers” would renovate and resell for profit.

Government’s Role: Shrink to Grow

Pieder is clear that he wants to see the government’s role in Ogden shrink, not expand. He calls attention to the immorality of government competing with private enterprise, pointing out that while private citizens face strict regulations and costly engineering studies for simple projects, the city often exempts itself from these rules. This “rules for thee but not for me” attitude, he argues, unfairly burdens taxpayers and stifles private growth.

His approach calls for tightening belts, curbing costs, and shifting the focus from government employees to the citizens who create the city’s wealth. “It’s the citizens that create the wealth. It’s the government that is parasitic and that subsists off of this wealth created in free enterprise,” Pieder asserts. His campaign is essentially a call to “toast” the entrepreneurial spirit of Ogden’s residents and support their dreams rather than taxing them to fund government inefficiency.

Addressing Taxation: A Call for Fiscal Responsibility

Taxes are a hot-button issue in Ogden, and Pieder’s stance is both pragmatic and principled. He highlights a troubling statistic: over the past seven or eight years, median home taxes in Ogden have increased by 62%, a rate far outpacing income growth among residents. This disparity, he insists, is unsustainable and immoral.

“It is immoral to be taking money from your people and giving it to politically favored classes,” he explains. His argument isn’t against helping people in need but against the misuse and misallocation of taxpayer dollars. Pieder stresses that government should not be “generous with other people’s money,” a generosity that often results in waste and inequity.

Free Market Solutions in Ogden’s Community

Instead of relying on government programs, Pieder points to free market solutions that already exist in Ogden. For example, ski resorts like Snow Basin and Powder Mountain have collaborated with private and state partners to fund efficient bus services that transport visitors from the city to the mountains. These initiatives are funded without drawing on taxpayer money, demonstrating how private enterprise can effectively address community needs.

Pieder’s personal enjoyment of these bus rides, where he relaxes and even solves chess puzzles while admiring the breathtaking scenery, is a testament to the quality of these free market solutions. It also reflects his deep appreciation for the natural beauty surrounding Ogden and his desire to protect and enhance the community’s outdoor amenities.

Celebrating Ogden’s Unique Spirit and Entrepreneurial Potential

What does Pieder love most about Ogden? Beyond the mountains and outdoor lifestyle, he cherishes the city’s revitalized 25th Street—a hub of commerce, culture, and community energy. The proximity to the mountains creates a “mountainous spirit,” a willingness to face challenges, embrace adventure, and pursue dreams.

For Pieder, this spirit extends beyond physical adventure to the realm of entrepreneurship. He envisions a city where people open ice cream shops, bicycle repair stores, software companies, and more—each business a reflection of personal passion and community service. However, he warns against the soul-crushing impact of excessive government regulation and taxation, which can sap the vitality of these dreams.

“Government regulations, government taxes eat at our dreams and really I think eats at the soul of the human spirit.”

His vision is to make Ogden’s spirit come alive by fostering an environment where entrepreneurs can thrive and where commerce serves as the glue that binds the community together. The farmers market, with its buzzing energy and passionate vendors, is a microcosm of this ideal—a place where creativity and commerce intersect to build social power and connection.

Looking Ahead: The Olympics and Ogden’s Future

With the upcoming Olympic Games slated to spotlight Utah’s ski resorts, Ogden stands at a strategic advantage. Pieder sees this as a unique opportunity to showcase Snow Basin and Powder Mountain, both premier resorts that have earned national recognition. He advocates for promoting these assets as public information to attract visitors, entrepreneurs, and new residents, thereby invigorating the local economy and expanding the city’s tax base.

Such growth, he argues, would not only enhance the city’s vibrancy but also create the fiscal space to reduce taxes, aligning with his broader campaign goals. By selling and promoting these resorts as community treasures, Ogden can leverage its natural advantages to build a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem.

A Message to Voters: Believe in Your Dreams and Your Community

In closing, Pieder Beeli offers a heartfelt message to Ogden’s voters. He believes deeply in the power of individual dreams and the collective strength of the community. His campaign is a call to unleash freedom and creativity, to reject the notion that taxing neighbors more is the solution, and instead to embrace a future where entrepreneurship and service to others drive success.

“I believe in you and I want your dreams to come true. I think it is not beautiful to demand more taxes from your neighbors. I think voting in that way is not beautiful. I think it is beautiful to unleash your dreams and freedom so that you can excel and serve others and engage in a beautiful community dance with a community of entrepreneurs.”

Pieder is motivated by a desire to change the current trajectory of the Ogden City Council. He has “had enough” of the existing direction and is ready to champion a vision that makes Ogden “a very special and vibrant community.” For voters who share this vision, his campaign offers a compelling choice grounded in hope, pragmatism, and a genuine love for this mountain city.

Conclusion

Pieder Beeli’s candidacy for Ogden City Council is more than a political campaign; it is a vision for a community where the spirit of the mountains and the spirit of entrepreneurship converge. Drawing from his Swiss heritage, his scientific background, and his passion for free enterprise, Pieder offers a fresh perspective on governance—one that prioritizes citizens over government, dreams over bureaucracy, and service over control.

His focus on reducing government inefficiency, promoting fiscal responsibility, and celebrating the entrepreneurial spirit resonates deeply in a city like Ogden, where natural beauty and community ambition are intertwined. As Ogden looks to the future, including the spotlight of the Olympics, leaders like Pieder Beeli stand ready to guide the city toward a more vibrant, prosperous, and free future.

For those who believe in the power of dreams, the value of freedom, and the magic of mountains, Pieder Beeli’s campaign is a call to action and a promise of possibility.