I lied about degree, mayor admits

EAGLE MOUNTAIN — Mayor Brian Olsen announced Thursday that he did mislead the public when he campaigned for City Council in 2003 and when he ran for mayor in 2005 by saying he had a master's degree in public administration.

In an interview with the Deseret Morning News on Wednesday, Olsen said he never told anyone he had an MPA but indicated that uncorrected mistakes throughout his campaign led people to believe otherwise. Thursday, as storm clouds rolled in across the valley, Olsen admitted he was responsible for saying he earned the degree.

"That's a lie," Olsen said. "I feel horrible about that. I've let (the city) down. It's a terrible, terrible mistake and one I wish I've never done."

Olsen said he started telling people he had a master's degree when people didn't understand the meaning of a different certificate he earned — a public manager's certificate.

Olsen took a course that earned him a public manager's certificate while he worked for the Utah Highway Patrol. The course — which teaches public management techniques over a period of six months — was offered through the state Human Resources Department. Though the course does have some school credit attached to it, Olsen says, he did not take the course through a university, nor did he ever apply to any master's program.

"When I explained (the program), I got a lot of blank looks," Olsen said. "Because of the course of credits, I compared it to a master's degree."

Olsen said over time, he dropped the comparison and just referred to the certificate as a master's degree.

In addition to campaign materials, ads and newspaper articles that stated Olsen had an MPA, Olsen said he wrote a letter to the mayor and City Council in 2003 that indicated he had a master's degree in public administration. Olsen also stated he had an MPA during a recorded mayoral debate in 2005 and in multiple casual conversations, said Councilman Vincent Liddiard.

"This will not happen ever again," Olsen said. "This is my darkest moment. I regret this horribly, and I want to set the record straight that I screwed up."

Olsen said he received support from most of his staff and members of the City Council when he informed them Thursday that he did not have an MPA.

"I still think he's very capable, and I still think he's the right man for the job," said Councilwoman Heather Jackson. "But it will still take some time to rebuild the trust that has been shaken here."

Liddiard, who said he has been a personal friend of Olsen for several years, said he thinks the mayor is a "good man." But Liddiard added that he worries about any financial fallout that may arise from the perception the government is unstable, when in fact the city is growing and continues to enjoy good bond ratings.

Still, Liddiard said the mayor's actions are regrettable.

"If he were employed in the corporate world, he would be fired."

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E-mail: achoate@desnews.com