Magna City Council censures Mayor Sudbury and sets 40 hours of training

The Magna City Council voted Oct. 19 to approve Resolution R2026-48, a formal public censure and reprimand of Mayor Mick Sudbury. It also sets rules for how the mayor communicates with city staff and the police agency, requires council approval for his discretionary appointments and city-funded travel and requires him to complete 40 hours of training within six months. The meeting summary published by OpenCity records the vote as 4-1; the meeting transcript records ayes followed by one no but does not say who cast each vote. ^[1][2][3]

**What the resolution says.** Special counsel for the city walked the council through a draft that opens with a formal censure tied to conduct identified by an independent investigation, citing the city's code of conduct (Resolution 2026-20) and its workplace commitments (Resolution 2026-12). Special counsel told the council the resolution is not a criminal finding or a finding of statutory violations, but a council action. The draft says the conduct "undermined the orderly conduct of the city business and the separation of municipal authority." The agenda lists the item as a discussion of alleged violations of city policy by the mayor and potential sanctions. The investigation report itself was not part of the meeting materials reviewed for this story, and the council did not read its findings aloud in the portions reviewed, so this report does not describe the underlying allegations. ^[1][2]

**Rules for the mayor.** As read to the council, the resolution bars the mayor from taking or threatening adverse action against people who make good-faith reports or take part in investigations. Except in a public emergency, matters the council assigns in an open meeting, or communication the city manager authorizes, the mayor is to deal with city employees through the city manager. It bars the mayor from directing, supervising or pressuring employees, the Unified Police Department, the Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District, contractors and others. It also bars him from interfering with individual law enforcement matters or active police scenes except as an ordinary private citizen, victim, witness or authorized responder. The mayor also may not make or imply commitments of city funds or contracts unless the council or the city manager in writing has authorized them. A separate provision, discussed as an addition to the core restrictions, requires non-emergency official communications to be in writing and copied to the city manager and the mayor pro tem, or a designee both agree to in writing. Council Member Prokopis said the copy requirement means the mayor can still talk with whomever he wants but must copy a third party. ^[2][3]

**Committees and training.** The draft would have rescinded discretionary committee, board, liaison and intergovernmental assignments the council had given the mayor, including his seat on the Unified Fire board, while leaving statutory, contractual and ex officio positions in place. Council Members Prokopis and Jensen spoke against removing the Unified Fire board seat, and Prokopis said it was not part of the complaint or the findings. The council struck that item and kept a provision that the mayor get council approval before discretionary appointments and city-funded travel. The draft required training on municipal authority, workplace conduct, retaliation prevention, law enforcement and service-provider boundaries, municipal ethics, open meetings and conflict management, and council members questioned where such classes can be found. After discussion the council changed the deadline from 90 days to 180 days and set the requirement at 40 hours, with human resources and city legal counsel approving courses. The mayor is to report completed training at the next council meeting after finishing each course. The council also moved its review of the rules to 180 days after adoption from one year, and added anger management to the topics. ^[2][3]

**How the discussion went.** Council Member Jensen said the council received the final draft at 10:43 a.m. the day of the meeting and asked why it was not sooner. A speaker not identified in the transcript replied that the draft was sent out Saturday and that later revisions were very minor and made in consultation with the mayor's attorney. Special counsel also said the mayor's attorney had seen the draft, that the primary comments received were not substantive issues with the items, and that some wording was revised in response; counsel said that input did not amount to an endorsement. Jensen also corrected a recital that described the city manager as the chief administrative and executive officer; the draft was changed to say only administrative. A motion to adopt the resolution as changed was made and seconded. A speaker said the final text would be circulated that night, and Council Member George said that if no one raised concerns by 10 o'clock it would be signed. ^[2][3]

**What is not yet public.** The city's approved minutes for the special meeting had not been posted when this report was written, and the signed final text of the resolution was not available. Details above come from the recorded meeting and its summary, so wording in the signed version may differ. The meeting ended without a closed session. The transcript identifies Mayor Sudbury speaking only when he opened the meeting and attributes no comment on the resolution to him. ^[1][2][3]