Salt Lake County’s zoo, arts and parks (ZAP) tax will be reauthorized after garnering overwhelming support from voters.
As of 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, about 79.3% of voters who weighed in on the tenth-of-a-percentage-point sales tax were in favor of re-upping it for another decade. The tax generates millions for organizations like Tracy Aviary, the Utah Museum of Fine Arts and Red Butte Garden.
“ZAP has been an integral funding source for local arts, culture, botanical, recreation, parks, and zoological organizations for decades,” Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson said in a statement. “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.”
Last year, revenue from the tax totaled $36.7 million, which was allocated to more than 200 organizations. About 25% to 40% of the 2023 tax burden fell on county residents, equating to about $8 to $12 annually, according to a report from the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute.
Voters have never voted down the tax since it won approval in 1996.
