Woods Cross police chief resigns during City Council meeting

The top cop in Woods Cross City resigned this week during a City Council meeting.

Two council members confirmed Friday that Chief Greg Butler resigned Tuesday at the meeting.

City Administrator Gary Uresk said the chief’s last day was Wednesday.

“There was just some matters we couldn’t see eye to eye on and agree on,” Uresk said. “After some discussion, we mutually agreed it would be better if we went our separate ways.”

Tuesday’s City Council agenda included discussion of “employment action regarding police department personnel,” which Uresk confirmed was about Butler’s employment. No other details were available. Meeting minutes are not yet online, and a video recording of Tuesday’s meeting contained only the first eight minutes.

City Council member Ryan Westergard declined Friday to talk about what was discussed, saying it was a closed session. He confirmed that the City Council members accepted Butler’s resignation, adding the chief had “done a lot” for the city since he took over as top cop in 2011.

“We’re going to miss him,” Westergard said.

Uresk said the City Council had been discussing this issue for about a week before Tuesday’s meeting. He said there were no allegations that Butler did anything illegal.

“Unfortunately, on these personnel things, we can’t really speak a whole lot about it,” Uresk said. “A lot of this stuff is protected, it’s difficult to say a whole lot about it.”

Butler has been a police officer for more than 30 years. He spent most of his career with the West Jordan Police Department until going to Idaho in 2008 to oversee the Montpelier force. He left that job in 2011 to lead Woods Cross City’s police department.

Lt. Adam Losoro will serve as interim chief, Uresk said, until a new police leader is appointed.