KAYSVILLE -- The bills for the Jan. 4 Kaysville City Inauguration ceremony have reached $1,413 and are still being tallied. And the cost to refurbish Mayor Steve A. Hiatt's office at City Hall has topped $2,000 as a result of new furniture and paint.
The office and inauguration costs for Hiatt, who along with Councilmen Gil A. Miller and Jared R. Taylor was administered the oath of office by Gov. Gary R. Herbert, have rankled some residents, including city employees who contacted the Standard-Examiner. None wanted to be named, fearing possible retaliation.
The Kaysville ceremony included costs of $622.50 for 150 personal invitations, $44 for postage and $637.50 for catering, which consisted of sandwiches and vegetables, Kaysville City Manager John Thacker said.
The inauguration cost does not include additional custodial work performed for the event, security cost, in-house printing of the multicolored programs and a yet-to-be determined donation to be made to the Davis High Drumline, which performed at the ceremony.
The city spent $2,023 for new furniture and paint for Hiatt's office.
Hiatt and Thacker defend the expenses, even though they overshadow what neighboring cities spent on their mayoral inauguration.
The cost of the Layton inauguration was about $50 for refreshments. Clearfield spent about $950 on personal invitations, postage and lunch, according to officials from those cities.
The catering for the Kaysville ceremony was provided by professional caterer Lauri Storey, wife of City Finance Director Dean Storey.
The city also spent $25 for a photographer, $25 for a piano player and $60 on flower arrangements for the catering table, Thacker said.
The city also printed event programs in-house, Thacker said, but he did not have cost figures available. State troopers and city police provided security, with the city using three on-duty officers who were regularly scheduled that day.
"I expect citizens to question actions of their elected officials, and I have no problems answering questions now," Hiatt said, responding by e-mail to the Standard-Examiner.
Hiatt added he has not been approached by anyone personally to ask him to clarify the reasons for the costs, and he hopes the few complaints raised do not stem from bitterness.
The furniture in the mayor's office had been there for almost 25 years and was nearing the end of its life cycle, Hiatt said.
"We were very cautious in our spending and avoided replacing everything. We stretched every dollar, replacing (with) items that will last for another 25 years," he said.
The decorations in the office were provided at no cost to the city, he said.
"As far as our inaugural event, initially, we hadn't planned a huge event, but when we had the opportunity to host the governor of the state of Utah, the council and staff felt it appropriate to have a first-class event," Hiatt said.
"It was a wonderful community event, where both incoming and outgoing officials were honored," Hiatt said. "We felt great about it."
Thacker said the reason for the cost is because the inauguration was "a major event," bringing together state lawmakers, Davis County commissioners and the governor.
"It is an event that has significance like the Fourth of July, a community event," Thacker said. "We celebrate ourselves, our great state and county."
Four years ago, the city held a similar event to celebrate in a manner chosen by former Mayor Neka Roundy, Thacker said.
"This (year) was a broader event. But four years ago we did what the incoming mayor wanted to do. We fit the event to the style of the mayor," Thacker added.
Regarding costs to refurbish the mayor's office, Thacker said he does not find those to be out of line.
"This mayor wanted a different color scheme," Thacker said of the $182 paid for paint and the $250 contract to apply it.
Hiatt said that he ran his campaign on a platform of fiscal conservatism. Spending decisions are not made unilaterally by the mayor, he said, but rather by staff and council.
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