Logan » Opera lovers who say the show must go on will have to wait one more week to find out whether the Utah Festival Opera will be back next season.

Cache County Council Chairman H. Craig Petersen said a committee, formed to consider this Logan-based opera company's $400,000 Restaurant, Arts, Parks and Zoo tax request, made its unanimous decision Thursday.

The details will be revealed to the Utah Festival Opera Company's Board of Trustees on Monday and to the public at the council meeting on June 18, Petersen said. Thursday's decision is preliminary until next week's meeting where the public will get a chance to weigh in. After that public hearing, the council will formally vote.

"I value the opera highly, but this comes down to a matter of public finance and dollars," Petersen said, Thursday morning following the council's closed meeting.

On Tuesday, founder and artistic director Michael Ballam thanked the Cache County Council for the $255,000 allocated for the 2010 season. Then he asked for another $400,000 to keep the doors open.

"The money is just not available in the traditional means," Ballam told the council. "You are really our last hope."

The opera's fans became activists at that council meeting, filling every seat in the Cache County Courthouse to back Ballam's plea. Among the crowd were retirees from Arizona, California and Texas who come to the Logan area each summer.

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They reminded the council that they contribute substantially to the county's economy.

Fourteen-year summer resident Fred Berkenkamp, 83, said he and approximately 750 other retirees annually pour up to $2.5 million into the summer economy.

In a letter delivered to the council Tuesday, Berkenkamp said the loss of the opera could translate into a defection of many of Logan's May-to-August residents.

"Clearly, substantial added outside financial support for the opera in its difficulties would be highly beneficial to the Cache County business community," Berkenkamp said.

Tami Pyfer, a Logan City Councilmember and committee member, said Thursday that the opera company's budget crisis could be a catalyst for positive change.

"It's a great opportunity for some good changes to come about," she said.

abrunson@sltrib.com