West Valley launches 'WBC is me' branding and a yearlong events calendar

West Valley City unveiled 'WBC is me' as its 2026 citywide theme at the Feb. 20 budget retreat and presented a calendar of community events designed to increase pride, celebrate diversity and drive resident participation.

Harold described the initiative as “a citywide declaration that West Valley City is defined not by assumptions or old narratives, but by the people who live, work and serve here.” He previewed a short promotional video featuring residents and staff and highlighted individuals such as local artisan Jonathan Millar to illustrate neighborhood talent.

Staff said planned events will be branded under the initiative and include a March 14 citywide scavenger hunt with sponsor prizes, a May family fitness/community night, a graffiti-wall drop party for youth, a July 4 aerial photo and fireworks, back-to-school partnerships serving children and a December Christmas festival with a tree lighting and a planned 'Santa on a fire truck' route. The youth city council and community partners (including Day 1 and local sponsors) will be involved in programming.

Council feedback focused on inclusive outreach: members requested simple, one-line event descriptions for council notices and urged staff to ensure outreach reaches residents who do not use social media. Harold said the city will develop a unified events calendar that aggregates details and improve communications to make each event’s purpose clear.

Next steps: staff will finalize event details, build the events calendar, coordinate promotion with council and partners, and brief council on opportunities to participate and support.