When Celeste Johnson took office in 2018, she knew conserving Midway’s open space would be a key issue.
“My opinion about it has evolved and gotten, actually, even more ingrained and deeper,” she said on KPCW’s “Local News Hour” Dec. 29. “Initially, open space, the idea of preserving it was just to protect Midway from overgrowth and overdevelopment, and to keep spaces open for the lifestyle that people moved to Midway for.”
Over her two terms as mayor, Johnson said she has increasingly appreciated how open space saves farmland and makes it possible for agriculture to continue in the small town.
She said she visited Midway’s sister city in Switzerland and learned about laws that protect a certain percentage of land for farming.
“We saw in 2020, with the pandemic, a supply chain crisis of sorts,” she said. “And it really occurred to me that if we had to grow our own food, literally, and take care of ourselves – if everything is houses, where do we farm? And by saving these farms, we have protected a way that we can take care of ourselves.”
Midway locals passed a $5 million open space bond in 2018, and another $5 million bond in 2024. The money has been used to support projects including the 100-acre Kohler dairy farm and the Christian Michel farm along River Road.
Johnson said Midway has faced unique challenges in recent years as more people have discovered the town.
“Being able to channel our growth appropriately has been very important,” she said. “Along with being discovered, we’ve got parking issues now; we’ve got traffic issues.”
She said 85% of drivers in Midway go faster than the 25 mph speed limit, so traffic calming is a priority for town leaders.
Johnson said leadership has taught her more about bringing people together and finding solutions, and she intends to use those skills after leaving town government.
“What I’m going to do next is to stay very involved in my community,” she said. “I will be involved with the Wasatch Community Foundation, I will continue working with the Wasatch Caring Coalition, as well as A Bolder Way Forward.”
Johnson will be succeeded by Mayor-elect Craig Simons, who previously served on the Midway City Council. He will be sworn in Jan. 5, 2026.
