Kaysville mayor says county shelter placement was an 'unfunded mandate' and opposed siting in city

At a Davis County forum, Kaysville Mayor Tammy described why she opposed placing a temporary homeless shelter in Kaysville and explained her role on the county task force. She said the state passed a law that the county then sought to enforce and that she volunteered to be part of the response, but objected to the proposed site and the lack of planning and resources.

"The area that they wanted to use is currently being used... the emissions building is not vacant," Tammy said, arguing the location lacked nearby services and protections for residents and patrons. She said the county’s approach felt like an "unfunded mandate," and raised operational concerns about police, fire and patron protections.

Tammy said she performed PIT (point-in-time) counts herself over multiple years to verify need and that, in her view, the data did not demonstrate a need for a shelter in Kaysville. She recounted volunteers and staff sometimes keeping doors open later because of the cold, then later needing to find alternatives for people leaving the shelter; she said she and others paid for rides for some residents and criticized a shuttle plan that did not limit people arriving by car.

She said she opposed the siting not because she "doesn't love people" but because she wanted programs that impose accountability and provide services that help people get stable housing. Tammy said she sought clearer data and operational planning from county officials before agreeing to a local shelter placement.

The forum did not include a county official responding to those assertions; Tammy's account reflects her role on the task force and volunteers' experience during the shelter's operation. Her comments describe program limitations and operational challenges rather than a formal county decision recorded at the forum.