Heber City Manager Matt Brower’s new contract runs for three years and expires on April 18, 2026.
Brower requested an early renewal of his employment agreement earlier this year, even though it wasn’t due until fall 2024. The council discussed it in early March and delayed a decision multiple times before voting for the renewal this week.
The council approved the contract 5-1 with no comment. Heber Mayor Heidi Franco was the lone “no” vote. The mayor doesn’t usually vote on action items with the council, but this was a special circumstance because it concerned the city manager’s employment.
As city manager, Brower is in charge of roughly 100 full-time and 55 part-time employees and is the city’s highest paid employee. His annual salary is $175,000. The new terms don’t change that or increase his benefits.
The changes address what happens if he loses his job. If he’s fired with cause, he won’t get severance, but if he is fired without cause, he’s entitled to three-quarters of a year’s salary.
The new contract requires the city council to conduct an investigation and appeal process with a third-party investigator to establish a cause to fire him if a potential need arises. It also states that if that investigation finds no grounds for dismissal, the city will reimburse his legal fees.
Brower said that protects him in case he’s wrongfully accused of misconduct and the council fires him because of pressure by public outcry.
Franco didn’t immediately respond to KPCW’s request for comment. In March, she said she wasn’t worried about Brower specifically but believed the new contract terms would set a harmful precedent that would make it too difficult for the city to fire city managers in the future.
Councilman Ryan Stack called the new contract “balanced.”
“I am comfortable with how this is proposed,” he said. “This appears to be appropriate and striking a good balance to protect both the city as well as the city manager.”
A link to Brower’s contract is available at heberut.gov.
