Salt Lake County ZAP tax reauthorized for the 4th time

Voters affirmed the Zoo, Arts & Parks (ZAP) tax in Salt Lake County on Wednesday morning. Reauthorization won 79% of the vote, marking the fourth time the county has voted to reauthorize it since its initial authorization in 1996. In 2004 it was reauthorized in a 71% vote and again in 2014 with 77%.

The reauthorization comes just shy of the tax's 30th anniversary, which will be celebrated in 2026.

The tax funds the Zoo, Arts & Parks program in Salt Lake County, which is in place to "enhance Salt Lake County resident and visitor experiences through art, cultural, historical and recreational offerings" and will be used by 244 arts, cultural and zoological nonprofits in the area.

Reauthorization allows the program access to 10 years of funds to support this mission. In the next decade, the county approximates the tax will generate $26 million for arts and cultural experiences each year in Salt Lake County. It also provides for 30% of the Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation operational costs.

"As a public agency, many of our amenities are free or low cost to use because removing barriers to recreation access is a priority to us," Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation Director Chris Otto said. "ZAP funds offset operational costs, including staffing, associated with managing hundreds of public recreational amenities around the county."

Salt Lake County Mayor, Jenny Wilson, said, "ZAP has been an integral funding source for local arts, culture, botanical, recreation, parksand zoological organizations for decades. ... Our community's love of these offerings is demonstrated by their ZAP reauthorization and by them participating in events and visiting amenities that are supported by the tax."

ZAP funding is utilized by a number of local arts hot spots, including the Utah Museum of Fine Arts. UMFA's Executive Director Gretchen Dietrich said ZAP "supports the work the UMFA does throughout Salt Lake County and helps to underwrite the numerous free programs offered to residents, families and students. ZAP funding makes all of the UMFA's beautiful and thoughtful work possible, including exhibitions, public programming, learning and engagement offerings and collections care for future generations."

ZAP funding is utilized by a number of local arts hot spots, including the Utah Museum of Fine Arts. UMFA's Executive Director Gretchen Dietrich said ZAP "supports the work the UMFA does throughout Salt Lake County and helps to underwrite the numerous free programs offered to residents, families, and students. ZAP funding makes all of the UMFA's beautiful and thoughtful work possible-including exhibitions, public programming, learning and engagement offerings, and collections care for future generations."