LEHI — A proposal that would have reduced his role to mostly ceremonial was removed from Tuesday's City Council agenda by Mayor Howard Johnson, who called the proposed change "illegal."

"This item is taken off the agenda because it was developed in an illegal meeting, and we can't discuss anything illegal here," Johnson told the council and residents jamming the meeting. "I love and admire and respect these men (on City Council); it's just this and a few things that I disagree with them."

Nearly 200 residents attended the meeting; some stood in the foyer and listened as the mayor explained for almost 30 minutes the circumstances that led to the meeting. Though the mayor did postpone the item for two weeks, at which time the public can make comment and the City Council can address the issue, he did not allow any further comment from the City Council.

"I know there were some accusations of what I did say, and I have that in front of me," Councilman Johnny Barnes said. "I feel like I'm unheard if these accusations continue on for a period of time without responding."

According to Mayor Johnson, the City Council decided in a closed session to alter the role of the mayor. The council voted at that time, Johnson said, to add an item to Tuesday's agenda that would take the mayor's administrative and chief executive officer powers and assign them to the city administrator.

No time for public comment on the move had been allocated for Tuesday's meeting, which precluded any motion on the council's part to have a spontaneous public hearing, Johnson said. Utah state code requires a public notice seven days prior to any public hearing.

Johnson said he reported the council's actions to the Utah Attorney General's Office for investigation, which elicited applause from those attending.

Most residents said they were upset that they were not informed of the proposed change.

"I'm shocked that a group of men, in three months, can't manage to come up with some type of solution, that they have to come up with something like this," said Lehi resident Tamara Walker. "This isn't the way that something like this should come about."

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