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HILDALE — The Hildale City Council held a special meeting on Tuesday for what many anticipated would be a lengthy and contentious showdown between city leadership and its city manager, whose tenure as the top nonelected official came to an abrupt end in fewer than 30 minutes.
The council's single agenda item was to adjourn into an executive meeting to "discuss the character, professional competence," or the "physical or mental health of an individual." Though the action did not explicitly name Hildale City Manager Eric Duthie, it came as no surprise that his continued employment was under review at that moment.
In a brief moment — a blink in the timeline of municipal drama — the council came out of executive session and voted 4-0-1 (with Councilman Luke Merideth attending but not voting) to sever ties with Duthie.
There was no debate or fanfare. There was just a perfunctory motion by Councilman JVar Dutson to "remove … effective immediately," Duthie, after little more than four years on the job. There were no impassioned speeches, no last-minute appeals from supporters and no visible reaction from the city manager, who sat in the front row of the council chamber.
