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Kaysville mayor apologizes for country music concert after an earful from angry residents
May 22, 2020, 6:02 AM | Updated: 6:06 am
Kaysville Mayor Katie Witt heard several angry comments from the public at last night's city council meeting. She had been a big supporter of holding a country music concert at a public park. Mayor Witt apologized to the council but denied her support for the concert was tied to her run for Congress.
KAYSVILLE, Utah – Kaysville Mayor Katie Witt got an earful from several angry residents and apologized during Thursday’s city council meeting over her support for a now scuttled country music concert in the city.
BREAKING: The Utah Business Revival is moving the country music concert originally planned to be held in @kaysvillecity to the Studio Ranch Amphitheater near Grantsville. pic.twitter.com/rt5qsSKSsH
— KSL NewsRadio (@kslnewsradio) May 21, 2020
Amy Stevens was one of many residents who called into the virtual meeting upset that their conservative city had been trashed.
“You should be concerned that in [exchange] for publicity for your political campaign, you have hurt the great people of Kaysville. Our councilmen and women have been trashed, along with all of our citizens, as gangster-like people who hate small businesses and the Constitution. This could not be further from the truth…I’m a rule follower. I am also a conservative. I believe permits are gathered for a reason,” Stevens said.
She was not alone in thinking the mayor had supported the concert for political reasons.
Mike Flood also does not accept the mayor’s defense that she wanted the concert to protect the Constitution, and was one of several people calling for the Kaysville mayor to resign.
“This is not about the Constitution; it was all about your Congressional race. I’m all about opening up the economy, but I also believe in the rule of law and the responsibility to follow policy and procedure. You, madam, did not, and I ask for you to resign,” Flood said.
Others were angry that the mayor has kept the pickleball courts closed for public safety reasons yet wanted to have a large concert.
Concert organizers are trying to move it to Grantsville in Tooele County.
Mayor Witt apologized to the city council for not including them in the discussions, especially early on.
But she also reiterated that her intent was to defend the Constitution and she thought the concert would be safe.
She also hit back at suggestions it was all tied to her Congressional run, or that she did anything wrong.
“I did not misspend funds. I did not take money. I did not do anything illegal. But I did hurt your feelings, and I apologize for that,” Witt said.
The City Council voted 5-0 to pass a resolution denouncing the concert and the mayor’s actions to support it. They also voted unanimously to put a moratorium on special event permits until September 30.
