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Salt Lake County Recorder Gary Ott Will Resign

Late Thursday afternoon, Salt Lake County officials and court appointed guardians of Salt Lake County Recorder Gary Ott, reached an agreement for Ott to resign his elected office effective August 1. 

The agreement provides a lump sum payment of $35,000.  Ott’s guardians will reportedly place that severance money in an account dedicated to meeting Ott’s medical expenses and other needs as he transitions out of office. 

Gary Ott’s ability to carry out his duties as county recorder has been in question for months amid signs that his health was declining. An audit by Salt Lake County Council that took place last year revealed that Ott had little involvement in the day to day operations at the recorder’s office. Lawmakers considered a bill in this year’s legislative session that would have allowed the removal of incapacitated elected officials, but it didn’t pass.  In June, Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams called on Ott to resign.

Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill and his staff negotiated the agreement on behalf of the county.  In a statement, he thanked Ott’s family members and Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams for coming together to fashion what he called a humanitarian solution. Ott’s current term would have ended in 2020. 

Nicole Nixon holds a Communication degree from the University of Utah. She has worked on and off in the KUER Newsroom since 2013, when she first joined KUER as an intern. Nicole is a Utah native. Besides public radio, she is also passionate about beautiful landscapes and breakfast burritos.
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