About MattHEW
City Councilman and Board Trustee
Prior to being elected to the Utah House of Representatives in 2020, Matthew served for seven years as a city councilman for Farr West City. During his first term, he was selected by the Council to represent Farr West City as a member of the Board of Trustees for the Weber Fire District, where he was eventually appointed to board Vice-Chairman. He has been heavily involved in collaborating and forming policy decisions regarding public safety, land use, ordinances, and personnel. Between Farr West City and Weber Fire District, Matt took an active role in responsibly balancing budgets totaling nearly $17 million annually.
Prior to being elected to the Farr West City Council, Matt served on the Planning Commission, where he exemplified his ability to be an ardent defender of an individual's property rights. As a councilman, he was responsible for the creation of a redevelopment agency budget for Farr West City. The goal of this budget is to spur and incentivize commercial and mixed-use development for the purpose of creating affordable housing and increasing sales tax revenue, thereby reducing the city's reliance on property taxes for municipal funding.
Public Safety
The Utah State Legislature needs experienced law enforcement officers among its ranks when debating and voting on public safety policy. Public safety is the largest consumer of municipal budgets, and public safety legislation is one of the state legislative bodies’ top priorities. The problem, however, is that decisions made at the state level, while well-intended, can have a negative impact on local police and fire agencies.
With 23 years of law enforcement experience, Matthew knows the realities that confront public safety officials and the communities they serve. Over the last four years, he has used that experience in debating and voting for common-sense and effective public safety solutions in the Utah House.
His experience on the Weber Fire District Board of Trustees provides him with knowledge of the challenges facing the fire service as well. There is no more well-rounded public safety experienced legislator on Capitol Hill than Matthew Gwynn.
Law Enforcement
Matt was appointed as Roy City Police Chief in June 2021. The Roy City Police Department has a staff of 41 sworn officers and seven civilians. Roy City has a population of nearly 40,000 residents. Matthew entered law enforcement in February 2001, working as a corrections officer for the Weber County Sheriff's Office. After receiving a full law enforcement certification, he was hired by the Roy City Police Department in October 2003. Matthew has also served in a variety of law enforcement positions, including detective, school resource officer, public information officer, and as an agent with the Northern Utah Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
As a detective, Matthew was responsible for the investigation of sexual abuse cases for both adult and juvenile victims. He was also a member of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, where he worked with local, state, and federal agencies investigating crimes of online enticement of children, including the manufacturing, distribution, and possession of child pornography. He was also recognized by the United States Attorney General's Office for the District of Utah for his work on the task force. Matthew took great pride in the success of the task force and made several arrests, resulting in the imprisonment of those who prey on children.
Education
Using his GI Bill, Matthew attended Weber State University. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and completed a minor in history. His senior thesis was awarded "Best Senior Thesis" for the political science department. Matthews's thesis analyzed the state and federal spending in the West and ranked states Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico according to their reliance on state funding versus federal funding. At the time, Utah was second out of four states in its reliance on federal funding. He returned to the classroom and completed a Master's in Public Policy and Administration at Northwestern University.
After completing graduate school, Matthew was invited back to Weber State University in 2016, where he now serves as a member of the adjunct faculty in the political science department. He teaches two introductory courses: Introduction to American Government and Introduction to Public Administration.
Military Service
Immediately upon graduating high school, Matthew entered military service. He joined the United States Marine Corps and served as an infantryman and security forces member. He reached the rank of Corporal and received an Honorable Discharge.
After returning home to Utah, he realized he wanted to continue to serve in the military but be closer to home. He re-enlisted in the United States Air Force Reserve and was a member of the 419th Fighter Wing Security Forces Squadron. During this time, we experienced the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and learned of the heroic events of the brave passengers on United Flight 93. Matthew was returned to active duty and deployed in support of operations "Noble Eagle," "Enduring Freedom," and "Southern Watch." Matthew achieved the rank of Staff Sergeant, and after his Honorable Discharge from the USAF, he decided to place a greater emphasis on his law enforcement career and continuing his education.
Party Involvement
Matt has served in multiple capacities for several years in the Republican Party. He has served as a Precinct Chairman, County Delegate, State Delegate, and as the Secretary of the Weber County Republican Party. He currently serves as a Co-Adviser for the Weber State University College Republicans. This group of young conservatives is excited, passionate, and outgoing and is genuinely concerned that conservative voices and principles are being incrementally eroded. Matthew is confident that as the party moves forward and political challenges evolve, these younger folks will competently take the helm of the Republican Party.
Our Family
Matthew and his wife, Shelly, have been married for 23 years and have four children together: Taylor, Alexis, Ashlyn, and Jadyn. Their family enjoys all things outdoors, including camping, shooting, and sports. Taylor lives in Houston and works as a photographer and in-home damage recovery and restoration. Alex is attending Weber State University and is enrolled in the elementary education program. Ashlyn was recruited by Cal State Fullerton, where she is playing Division 1 soccer and is working toward a degree in Kinesiology. Jadyn loves animals, drawing and painting, riding her scooter, and enjoys playing Minecraft. Shelly is an administrative assistant for the director of Weber Human Services. During the evenings in the spring and fall, she can be found on the softball field with friends and co-workers. In Matthew's downtime, he can be found reading the biographies of historical figures or at a local model airport flying radio-controlled planes.
