Voters confirmed Salt Lake County’s Zoo, Arts & Parks (ZAP) tax on Wednesday morning. The reauthorization won 79% of the vote, marking the fourth time the county has voted to reauthorize it since the original authorization in 1996. In 2004 it was approved again with a vote of 71% and again in 2014 with 77% .
The reauthorization comes just before the tax’s 30th anniversary, which will be celebrated in 2026.
The tax funds the Salt Lake County Zoo, Arts & Parks program, which is designed to “enhance the experiences of Salt Lake County residents and visitors through arts, cultural, historic and recreational offerings” and will be used by 244 arts, cultural and zoological organizations. non-profit organizations in the region.
Reauthorization gives the program access to 10 years of funding to support this mission. The county estimates that the tax will generate $26 million annually for arts and cultural experiences in Salt Lake County over the next decade. It also provides 30% of Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation operating costs.
“As a public entity, many of our amenities are free or low-cost to use because removing barriers to access to recreation is a priority for us,” said Chris Otto, director of Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation. “ZAP funds offset operating costs, including staffing, associated with managing hundreds of public recreational facilities across the province.”
Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson said, “ZAP has been an integral funding source for local arts, cultural, botanical, recreation, parks and zoological organizations for decades. … Our community’s love for this offering is evident in their reauthorization for ZAP and in their participation in events and visits to tax-supported facilities.”
ZAP funding is used by a number of local art hotspots, including the Utah Museum of Fine Arts. Gretchen Dietrich, executive director of UMFA, said ZAP “supports the work UMFA does throughout Salt Lake County and helps support the numerous free programs offered to residents, families and students. ZAP funding makes all the beautiful and thoughtful work of the UMFA possible, including exhibitions, public programming, learning and engagement offerings, and collection care for future generations.”
ZAP funding is used by a number of local art hotspots, including the Utah Museum of Fine Arts. Gretchen Dietrich, executive director of UMFA, said ZAP “supports the work UMFA does throughout Salt Lake County and helps support the numerous free programs offered to residents, families and students. ZAP funding makes all the beautiful and thoughtful work of the UMFA possible, including exhibitions, public programming, learning and engagement offerings, and collection care for future generations.”
