According to 2026 Conflict of Interest Disclosures, Matt Holton was listed as the District 1 Councilmember for Cottonwood Heights.
During his tenure, Holton focused on international community building. According to a June 25, 2025, article in the Cottonwood Heights Journal, Holton was part of a delegation that traveled to South Korea to meet with Mayor Jaeho Lee and elected councilmembers. The purpose of that visit was to sign a letter of intent regarding a friendly exchange agreement between the Yeonsu-gu District and Cottonwood Heights. While in South Korea, Holton and Mayor Mike Weichers participated in cultural activities, such as learning to make kimchi from scratch and sitting in tea circles to learn silk dyeing.
Holton’s interest in international relations was a long-term goal. The June 25, 2025, report notes that Holton had been awaiting the opportunity to formalize a sister city relationship for years, noting in a February 2024 city budget retreat that he wanted to begin conversations to gain Incheon as a sister city. To celebrate the friendship between the two cultures, Holton personally paid for a commissioned gold beehive gift, which was placed in Incheon’s City Hall. The Friendship Agreement between Incheon, Yeongsu-gu, South Korea, and Cottonwood Heights was finalized during a delegation dinner on July 5, 2025.
In addition to international diplomacy, Holton was involved in local municipal business and historical preservation. According to an agenda for a meeting held on November 12, 2025, Holton was scheduled to provide City Staff/Council Updates to the Cottonwood Heights Historic Committee. This committee is responsible for various local projects, including the planning of 2026 committee priorities. These priorities, as detailed in the November 12, 2025, agenda, included discussions regarding the historic walk reboot and the Butlerville Monument and Time Capsule.
The planning for the Butlerville Monument time capsule involved various community elements. According to an attachment in the October 08, 2025, Historic Committee agenda, brainstormed ideas for the time capsule included items such as a copy of the Deseret News, the Salt Lake Tribune, or a local community newspaper, as well as a sealed USB drive containing digital documents and photos. Other suggested items included a current city budget summary and a map of Cottonwood Heights.
Holton also used his platform to encourage community engagement. In a previous Council Spotlight titled "Between the Canyons," published in the April edition of the newsletter, Holton wrote that the sister city relationship serves as a bridge connecting communities through culture, education, and economic opportunities. He encouraged residents to take advantage of cultural experiences provided during visits from foreign delegations. The Cottonwood Heights population was recorded as 33,617 as of April 1, 2020, according to the town knowledge base.
What this means for Cottonwood Heights
For the residents of Cottonwood Heights, the work of councilmembers like Matt Holton has historically involved both local preservation and global outreach. His efforts to establish the sister city relationship with Incheon and his involvement with the Historic Committee reflect a focus on connecting the local community to broader cultural and historical contexts.
