South Ogden Mayor Brent Frost has filed a memorandum admitting he unintentionally violated the city's purchasing ordinance when he bought a Jeep with city funds.

The memorandum filed in 2nd District Court in response to a citizen complaint seeking Frost's ouster says Frost has done nothing to merit removal from office.The plaintiff who filed the action, Robert Boyle of South Ogden, has 15 days from the date of Frost's response to file a reply. Frost then has five days to file a final response before a court decision.

Boyle is asking Judge Stanton M. Taylor to remove Frost from office for his actions regarding the Jeep, which Frost purchased with city funds last year for $16,900. Frost has said the vehicle was for use by him and the city Police Department.

The city later sold the truck back to the Idaho dealership from which it was purchased after controversy arose about Frost's use of the vehicle.

Frost's memorandum, written by his attorney, Robert Echard, says the city's purchasing ordinance requires purchases in excess of $12,000 to go through a competitive bid process.

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"It would appear that this section was not complied with by the mayor and the other officials of South Ogden City. Apparently, neither the mayor nor any of the other city officials involved, including all of the City Council members and the treasurer and recorder, realized that this section of the ordinance had to be complied with in the purchase of the Jeep," the memorandum said.

The ordinance requires that a person purchasing property in violation of the ordinance must then pay for the property. That was never requested of the mayor, according to the document, and the issue is now moot since the vehicle was returned for the price of purchase.

Boyle's complaint also contends that Frost violated Utah's Open and Public Meetings Act by telephoning four of the five City Council members to clear the purchase.

But Frost's memorandum said there was no evidence the mayor or City Council members intended or in fact convened a public body.

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