OGDEN -- A high-ranking municipal official says city council candidate David Phipps listed him without permission as a supporter on a campaign mailer sent out last week to voters.
Mark Johnson, the city's management services director, is the second person to claim an endorsement of Phipps' candidacy for the council's At-Large Seat B printed on the mailer is an error. Karen Thurber, development director of the Ogden-Weber Applied Technology Center, also has said her name was listed on the mailer without her permission, adding she is not endorsing Phipps.
Phipps has said he plans to send about 1,000 postcards to voters in the next two weeks apologizing for mistakenly putting Thurber's name on the mailer.
Phipps has said the error involving Thurber and Johnson occurred when he submitted their names as potential supporters to a University of Utah student who was serving as his campaign manager.
In addition, Phipps has said that because of miscommunication, neither he nor his campaign manager confirmed Thurber's endorsement before the mailer was sent out Sept. 12.
Johnson said he met with Phipps about a month ago, something he periodically does at the request of candidates running for office, to inform them about city operations, but never agreed to endorse him.
Phipps said he contacted Johnson after the error was discovered.
In addition, Phipps said Johnson told him because he's a city offical he has to be careful about outwardly endorsing candidates, but did not want a formal public apology.
Johnson said he avoids endorsing local candidates or contributing financially to their campaigns because it would be inappropriate.
Johnson believes Phipps made an honest mistake, but nevertheless notified the city attorney's office and City Council Executive Director Bill Cook that his name was listed on the mailer without permission.
There is no specific ordinance prohibiting municipal officials from endorsing candidates for elected positions, Mara Brown, an assistant city attorney, said, adding that Johnson notified Cook and her office to be proactive.
"He wanted to make sure he was being abundantly cautious so there was no perception of impropriety," Brown said.
Related link: This article is a topic of discussion at Weber County Forum.
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