One of the most important jobs a newspaper can do is to be your watchdog. You’ve likely paid thousands in taxes to federal, state and local governments, and you deserve to know how your money is being spent.
Southern Utah Tribune reporter Mark Eddington has been working for more transparency in city government for years. There’s one story he’s stuck with, and in November we learned it will end with more information that can help you better understand your community.
Here’s the full story:
In 2023, St. George denied the Southern Utah Drag Stars a permit for a show at a city park.
The 2023 denial came after Mark reported, in 2022, that the city manager for St. George approved a permit for a similar request. Some council members and residents were upset that the 2022 permit was issued, and the city pressured its manager to rescind it. He refused, citing the high likelihood the city would be sued for failing to allow a group to exercise its First Amendment rights. The Tribune reported on the payout after obtaining the agreement through an open records request. The city manager had negotiated a resignation and a $625,000 settlement (this is your taxpayer money).
After the 2023 denial, a federal judge ruled the city’s actions were unconstitutional and ordered the city to allow the show. The show’s organizers sued, alleging the city violated their constitutional rights.
The city seemed to recognize it was in the wrong - regardless of how people felt about the show - and with support from a judge started to work on a settlement, which both sides ultimately agreed to. Mark then requested the settlement, as Tribune reporters have done dozens of times in instances across Utah.
The agreement is a contract that involves the spending of public money and it should have been made public.
But St. George rejected our GRAMA request, or Government Records Access and Management Act request (GRAMA ensures Utahns have visibility into how public officials are working on their behalf).
When a requestor is denied access to a record, the dispute can go to an Administrative Law Judge, who makes a ruling after both the public and the government make their case.
The judge, Lonny Pehrson, said it was not a private document even though St. George classified it as such. Pending the document being unsealed by the court, we will finally know how much St. George paid the drag show folks to settle. It’s a victory for open government, and for you.
St. George is a beautiful place with wonderful amenities. The city provides services and pays its bills with the benefit of your tax dollars. You do pay taxes with the expectation that your dollars are being used responsibly.
It’s our job to do the kind of digging that Mark has done here, over three years on this story, so you know how your government works. We do this kind of work every day, but we can’t do it without you.
Please support Mark’s work and the nonprofit Southern Utah Tribune. You can do so at southernutahtribune.org/donate.
An invitation
We’re hosting an open house on January 20 at Utah Tech and we’d love to see you there. Meet reporters Mark Eddington and Brooke Larsen and editor Colton Lochhead. We’d like to hear from you - what issues are most important to you and your community in 2026. We look forward to your story ideas and any other feedback you have on The Southern Utah Tribune.
- Lauren Gustus is CEO and Executive Editor of The Tribune.