Embattled Salt Lake City councilwoman’s seat vacated over recent move

SALT LAKE CITY — A Salt Lake City Council member at the center of a new investigation into misconduct has been removed from her seat.

Councilwoman Eva Lopez Chavez’s seat was vacated after a short investigation from the Salt Lake City Attorney’s Office, which found that she “failed to maintain a primary place of residence” within her district. That enacted a rule that determines a seat is “automatically vacant if the elected official establishes a primary place of residence outside the district he or she represents,” the city recorder’s office noted in a ruling handed down on Tuesday.

Members of the Salt Lake City Council were notified that her seat was vacated on Tuesday after being alerted that a decision was coming on Monday, said Salt Lake City Council Chair Alejandro Puy. The City Council has until June 11 to pick her replacement, per state statute. That’s also about a week before leaders have to finalize the city’s next budget.

“This is a very unfortunate situation for all of us, and the staff of the City Council,” he told KSL, acknowledging the difficulty of the timing.

Lopez and her attorneys disagreed with the findings, but she will “abide by the decision until we determine next steps,” attorneys Alex Ramos and Andrew Deesing said in response to the city’s ruling.

A residency review

Lopez has represented District 4, which includes downtown Salt Lake City and Central City, since she was sworn in at the start of 2024. She became the public face on several recent issues, including a proposed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in the city, and a state bill that would have forced the city to rename Harvey Milk Boulevard after slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

She was named vice chair of the Salt Lake City Community Reinvestment Agency’s board of directors this year, a city agency that oversees various property and investment holdings. She also ran for the Democratic nomination in Utah’s first congressional district this year.

However, the Salt Lake City Attorney’s Office began an investigation after a constituent emailed the city with concerns about Lopez’s address on April 28. County records show that she purchased a home in the East Liberty Park neighborhood in September, with an address that falls within the City Council’s District 5.

State law requires that an elected official remain within their jurisdiction, though it allows for a “secondary residence” for up to 60 days unless otherwise approved by the City Council.

Lopez’s lawyers wrote last week that she moved out of her old apartment on Dec. 10, 2025. They said she had bounced between the home she purchased out of district, as well as two other homes — her family’s home and the home of her campaign manager — since then.

“Councilmember Lopez Chavez’s principal place of residence is currently not fixed to a single location as defined in the statute, given unforeseen financial circumstances and the rigors of the congressional campaign,” they wrote in an email included with Tuesday’s findings.

Salt Lake City Council member Eva Lopez Chavez, a candidate for Utah’s 1st Congressional District, speaks during the Utah Democratic Party State Convention held at Jordan High School in Sandy on April 25. Her City Council seat was vacated on Tuesday. (Photo: Isaac Hale, Deseret News)

Lopez attended a Central City Neighborhood Council meeting last week, where she told attendees she had moved into the New Grand Hotel, which is located within District 4, and that she had an investment property at 1300 East.

However, many documents that her lawyers gave the city the following day only showed her previous address or her new home address. That includes a recent vehicle registered at the address of the purchased home, said Salt Lake City Recorder Keith Reynolds, who sifted through the documents.

He determined that Lopez had “established a principal place of residence outside District 4,” making her ineligible for her current seat, citing no documentation of her residency claims after early December. The documents only “raised additional questions,” he added.

In a statement, Ramos and Deesing said they are exploring “all available remedies.” Lopez said she still plans to “stand up for working families, immigrants, small business owners, tenants, seniors and communities too often left behind” despite the ruling.

“Serving the people of District 4 is the honor of my life,” she said, in part. “What was announced today did not come from the community I serve. To everyone who placed their trust in me, thank you. I will continue to fight for you.”

‘A lot of balancing’

Some questions still remain around when she was ineligible, which could vacate some recent City Council decisions. The city is currently reviewing all votes to see if she had a determining vote on any legislation while she was improperly in office, Puy said.

That’s something the city attorney’s office is leading.

The investigation into her residency began after the City Council said it would investigate claims of misconduct made against Lopez. KSL spoke with five women last month who said they were harassed, assaulted, or made uncomfortable by comments or actions of Lopez.

She has denied any wrongdoing, but the allegations prompted a formal investigation into her conduct that was launched last week. The City Council voted to temporarily suspend Lopez from multiple duties at that time, including her role as the vice chair of the Reinvestment Agency.

The City Council is still deciding whether to end that investigation now that her seat has been vacated.

“I think there are some decisions we’ll have to make about what we learn from all of this,” Puy added.

In the meantime, Lopez’s portrait was removed from City Hall ahead of the City Council’s meetings on Tuesday. Her name was also scrubbed from the Salt Lake City Council District 4 website.

The City Council will likely post the open job early next week and begin accepting applications from eligible residents, said Jennifer Bruno, the City Council’s executive director. Applicants could be interviewed in early June without the need for a special meeting, since the City Council was already scheduled to meet three times by the end of June 11.

Former Salt Lake City Councilwoman Eva Lopez Chavez’s portait is seen along with other former members within the Salt Lake City Council’s work session chambers Tuesday afternoon. Her seat was vacated earlier in the day. (Photo: Carter Williams, KSL)

Leaders must also finalize a budget by June 16, during a tricky fiscal year. Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall unveiled her proposed budget last week, which includes some service cuts and a 12.5% property tax increase. Tuesday’s ruling was also handed down before another set of complex budget meetings.

Since that vote isn’t expected until shortly before the budget is finalized, city staff will monitor all District 4 communications and concerns by residents, and forward information to others on the council so residents are “adequately represented” during the crucial budget process, Bruno said.

“It’s a lot of balancing right now. We’re in uncharted territory right now, but we’re working very hard to balance all of the needs the city has,” Puy added.

Salt Lake City last went through the replacement process three years ago. Former Salt Lake City Councilwoman Amy Fowler resigned after she was arrested for DUI in May 2023, officially leaving office after the city completed its budget that year. She later pleaded guilty to impaired driving and was sentenced to probation.

The City Council ultimately interviewed several people before nominating Sarah Young to represent District 7. Young eventually retained her seat through a special election held later that year and was reelected in 2025.

Whoever the City Council selects next month will serve out the remainder of Lopez’s term, which was set to expire at the start of 2028.

Correction: A previous version incorrectly stated the council learned of the decision on Monday, but it became aware on Tuesday.

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