Salt Lake County officials are temporarily pausing a decision to close a senior center after a torrent of negative public comments, with leaders now saying they will consult partners on other options.
After receiving pressure from dozens of the county’s oldest residents, council members signaled their intent Tuesday to delay a key vote on the facility’s future at least until early December.
The delay followed additional hearings in what have been weeks of public opposition voiced to the council, particularly from older area residents who rely on the Tenth East Senior Center at 237 S. 1000 East in Salt Lake City for services, recreation and social support.
“It really bothered me,” David Miles Oman, an opponent of the closure, told FOX 13. “This was done with zero input from the public, especially senior citizens.”
The council voted 5-4 along party lines earlier this month to permanently shut down the center, which has been closed since September due to remodeling. Members of the panel’s Republican majority have argued that ongoing maintenance costs are too high for the facility, which is located less than 2 miles from the Liberty Senior Center.
The council on Tuesday instead moved to explore outside partnerships before making any “final decision” on the closure, Republican council member Aimee Winder Newton said.
The action came as council members are also pursuing the closure of four county-subsidized day care programs. Dozens of other county residents have spoken out on how they rely on those centers.
Eliminating those county-run care facilities would force more than 250 families to find other arrangements at a time when Utah already has a shortage of licensed providers.
Supporters of the day care closures cite potential budget savings to taxpayers. The average Salt Lake County homeowner would save 23 cents a month on next year’s property tax bill if the child care programs end.
The GOP majority has eyed cuts to county spending after Mayor Jenny Wilson proposed a 20% property tax hike to cover public safety investments and rising operational costs across Utah’s most populous county.
After initially voting to close the day care centers in Magna, Kearns, Millcreek and Salt Lake City by year’s end, Republicans on the council reacted to pressure from parents by delaying the closures until the end of May, while raising tuition by 20%.
The County Council, meanwhile, has set its next consideration of the Tenth East Senior Center closure for Dec. 9 — the same day the panel is slated to adopt the county’s 2026 budget.