Summit County’s senior population could double over the next decade, and local officials are developing a strategic plan to bolster programs and services to help residents stay in the area and receive care as they age.

Approximately 15% of Summit County residents are 65 or older, but demographic projections for the Wasatch Back indicate the number could rise to 30% by 2036, largely due to the aging Baby Boomer generation. The trend mirrors nationwide projections, with the United States Census Bureau reporting that almost 17% of the American population in 2026 is older than 65.

Specifically, the Census Bureau claims the age group has had “a growth rate of about 1,000%” since 1920, when only 4.7% of the population was classified as seniors. Put simply, one in six people in the United States is older than 65 in 2026 compared to one in 20 people in 1920.

Senior services have become a concern for the Summit County Council in recent years as a result, especially after Elk Meadows — the only continuing care facility in the county — closed in 2024. County Councilor Tonja Hanson in particular has advocated for a detailed analysis of senior programming and whether the county could partner with a private company to establish another care facility in Elk Meadows’ absence.

Deputy County Manager Janna Young said the feasibility study for a continuing care facility was too expensive to include in the first round of analysis, but she expects to request more funding next year to complete the project. In the meantime, the county has hired The Hill Group, a Pennsylvania-based consulting firm, to survey Summit County seniors about their needs and create a strategic plan.

Jordan Pallitto, the firm’s chief operating officer, told the County Council last week that his company has held approximately 25 engagement opportunities so far. He said seniors overwhelmingly praised the county’s three senior centers and Meals on Wheels program, but they also expressed a need for more comprehensive programming focused on health and wellness.

“There is a desire for … body, mind, spirit and social programming that enables seniors of all ages because we’ve also heard that seniors are not a monolith,” Pallitto said. “We’re talking about providing mind, body and spirit programming for individuals aged 60-plus, and the needs of a 60 year old may not be the same needs as a 90 year old in this community. Differentiating those services across those dimensions is going to be really important.”

Pallitto said seniors are also worried about access to transportation, with many residents telling the consulting firm that it’s difficult to go grocery shopping, attend doctor appointments or visit friends without help from a younger driver. Young said the county has received similar feedback, especially from seniors who live on the East Side.

“We’re rural, but we have some urban influences,” Young said. “They live there for a reason. They want a small community. They like it being rural. As they’re aging, though, it’s becoming harder to live there because there’s nothing there, so transportation in particular … is the No. 1 thing that comes up all the time.”

Pallitto said there is an opportunity for the county to create stronger branding for its senior programs because some residents are unaware of the county’s offerings. He said some individuals also believe they’re “not old enough” to participate in senior programming despite falling into the 65-plus age range.

Other senior centers across the country have started renaming facilities to focus on active aging, wellness and other health benefits to change residents’ perceptions of the program, which Pallitto said has been an effective approach.

Other suggestions will be included in the strategic plan, as well as a list of objectives and tactics to improve senior services. Young said a draft of the plan should be finished by the end of the month, and the County Council is scheduled to review and possibly adopt the document in early September.

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Tucked away in the Wasatch County Parks and Recreation building during the annual Fair Days event was an array of projects with no common denominator other than that they were made, grown or baked by hand. There were countless cakes, a crocheted, two-foot-tall dragon and a 51,300-piece puzzle laid out on several tables assembled by seniors from the Wasatch County Senior Center.

The 29-by-7 foot masterpiece took five months to assemble and depicts 27 wonders of the world, from the Statue of Liberty to the Taj Mahal. 

The puzzle is far from the only contribution the Senior Center made to the Fair Days exhibition, which showcases and judges community talent in categories ranging from horticulture to arts and crafts. In total, the county’s seniors submitted 109 exhibits, earning 16 first-place ribbons, according to Candie Bonner, activities coordinator for the Senior Center.

Heber City senior citizen Sharon Michael won a first-place ribbon in acrylic painting for her depiction of a hunched-over king vulture. 

“When you get old, you develop some things,” she said — namely, “talent.”

When Michael started painting in a course at the Senior Center last year, she whined through the entire class. She found herself apologizing to the teacher when she realized her wildlife paintings turned out surprisingly well. 

The Senior Center offers a wide array of classes — tap dance, tai chi, watercolor painting and pool, to name a few. It also organizes get-togethers at concerts, plays and restaurants. The seniors even visited Strawberry Reservoir recently to watch a fish hatchery release 10,000 trout.

“(The Senior Center does) a tremendous amount to include all the senior citizens that have varied interests,” Michael said. 

Bonner is the force behind the classes and events. A Fair Days exhibitor herself, Bonner began encouraging seniors to participate a few years ago after noticing how proud they were of what they were making in classes.

“The talent of our senior community is amazing, and sometimes, I feel like they get overlooked. So, it’s been really neat to see them come and share their talent,” she said. 

Heber City resident Nancy Geisler said the Senior Center’s handling of the submission process makes it easy to participate.

Geisler has sewn her entire life. This Fair Days, she won a first-place award for a folding screen. Inside the oak frame, she sewed an intricate pattern using white thread and a technique called net darning. 

“It’s not as tedious as cross-stitching. It’s kind of the same thing because you’re working in squares, but it goes faster,” Geisler explained.

Meanwhile, Midway senior Cheryl Long made quilts with her granddaughters, Evalyn, 7, and Teagan, 9. The girls chose fabrics patterned with ice cream cones and hummingbirds, respectively. 

“I loved it. It was tedious for them at different points,” Long joked.

For Bonner, the appeal of the Fair Days exhibits is their celebration of talents that can be considered “a forgotten art.”

“It’s just awesome to see people remembering how to preserve food, how to hand-make quilts,” she said.

Bonner’s first Fair Days exhibit was a bookmark she submitted when she was 5 years old. This year, she submitted various canned goods, from jams to chicken, and floral arrangements. 

“It’s a good place to gather, to share your talents, to have joy,” she said about the Fair Days exhibition. “(For) the senior community … to remember, ‘I have talents. I can do these things and share them with people.’”

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Heber City Councilor Yvonne Barney recently qualified for Social Security.

“I know most of you don’t believe that I’m that old, but it’s true,” she said, which was met with laughter during the Heber City Council meeting Tuesday. “But I qualified and received the amount that I would have to exist on. And let me just say, I would be living on the streets. … It was absolutely horrible, and I’m so grateful that I have a wonderful husband who still likes me and is willing to help me out.”

The bleak fiscal situation of many of Heber City’s seniors is exactly why Mayor Heidi Franco has devised a property tax abatement program for them. If passed by the City Council, the program would begin in January.

Franco began her pitch with some statistics. Heber City’s median household income is about $110,000, according to 2024 U.S. Census Bureau data. In 2010, the median income in Heber City households was almost half of that — about $56,000. 

“I think many of our seniors bought or built their homes before that time period,” Franco said. “That was the economic standard in our city. We were not a high-income city. Now, it’s really increased, and we believe it’s only going to continue to increase.”

Local utility rates have risen as much as 36% since 2025, Franco said. The city is also considering a 5.2% property tax rate increase, which the City Council will vote on following a public hearing on Aug. 5. 

Factored in with rising property values in Heber City and nationwide inflation, it’s clear to Franco that seniors are facing a “ginormous need” for relief.

“We have senior citizens that are stuck between when they bought their houses 20, 30, 40 years ago and … the incredible inflation that’s happened,” she said.

Franco’s proposed tax abatement program would distribute lump sum payments to qualifying seniors. These funds would provide relief for seniors’ city and county property taxes from the prior year.

Seniors would qualify by applying for Wasatch County’s two existing low-income tax abatement programs, which are available to residents 66 and older. 

The county in January will share the list of qualifying Heber City seniors with city staff. The city will then distribute funds for its own tax abatement program to those who qualified for the county programs by the end of February. 

One of the county’s tax abatement programs is available to seniors whose annual household income is less than $44,221, and the other is for those making between that amount and $65,534. Franco tentatively plans to distribute $700 to each Heber City senior who qualifies for the former program, and $400 to those who qualify for the latter. That’s in addition to any funds applicants may have received from the county.

The funds for Heber City’s program will come from the Upper Jordanelle Ridge development. The developers in March amended their development agreement with Heber City by dedicating $1,500 per residential unit, or $4.5 million, to the city. Developers dedicated the funds as a show of good faith amid ongoing negotiations around the project’s open space, trails, design and layout, explained City Attorney Jeremy Cook.

Franco expects 150 qualified applicants in January, based on the number of citywide applicants last year. She projects the city spending up to $85,500 on the first round of the program in 2027, and up to $165,000 in 2028.

“I don’t think we’re going to need it for years and years and years to come. I think it’s … a short-term economic crunch for longtime citizens that own property in the city,” she said. “But time will tell.”

Although the City Council did not take a vote, all members were receptive to the idea. 

“I know several (seniors) that were my teachers in school … and those tax numbers are crazy compared to what they have coming in for income,” said City Councilor Aaron Cheatwood. “I think it’s a great thing we probably should have done earlier.”

It is not just seniors who own homes who are financially struggling in Heber City. U.S. Census Bureau data shows that 5.3% of city residents are impoverished — or about 3,700 people, according to Franco’s estimates.

“That’s not a number that any of us should be comfortable with,” Franco said.

City Councilor Mike Johnston said he hopes the tax abatement program is only the first step the city takes in helping residents who are financially struggling.

“I want to continue talking together and figuring out, ‘What can we do?’ because I think it’s bigger than just this. I mean, we’re talking about a welfare program, and I’m just as interested in helping people with their food insecurity and … utility rates,” he said.

The City Council will vote on the tax abatement program on Aug. 18. That’ll be less than two weeks following its decision about whether to raise property taxes.

Seniors can apply for Wasatch County’s existing tax abatement programs by visiting tinyurl.com/288bmckx. The county also has programs for residents who are disabled, low-income or veterans.

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On 80-year-old Sharon Carlson’s crown of pink dyed hair, she’d donned a similarly pink flapper’s feather headband. It read “Happy New Year!” in silver glitter. 

“I’m always much happier when I’m wearing pink or purple. Today, I wore this color,” she said, gesturing to her beige sweater. “But I was trying to be the Happy-New-Year type.”

When Carlson turned 50, color “happened” to her. She can’t exactly explain her affliction, but she’s certainly felt the symptoms. 

On Carlson’s farm in Wallsburg, where she raises chickens, goats and a basket’s worth of fruits with her son, you’ll find purple fences and an orchard adorned with fairy lights. In Carlson’s room, there’s an explosion of pink. 

Her flowing pink locks are the latest evidence of her obsession. Carlson had her hair dyed in 2025 with Allie Mecham, who she calls the second of “The Three Stooges” in her close-knit friend group. 

Carlson was one of about 120 seniors who crowded into the Wasatch County Senior Citizen Center on Tuesday to ring in the new year over lunch. To mark the occasion, Carlson brought her grandmother’s velvet coin purse, which was adorned with a button from her grandfather’s suit. 

“She gave it to me four years before she died,” Carlson explained. Her grandmother lived to be 104. 

In 2026, Carlson will be expressing her burst of color through oil painting.

Carlson wasn’t the only partygoer planning on picking up new talents through the senior center’s programming.

Last year, Shelly Hokanson resolved to learn something new every day.

In August, she began her learning journey by taking the senior center’s ceramics course. By Christmas, she’d made gifts by hand for each of her 22 grandchildren. Chess sets, piggy banks, dinosaurs, jewelry boxes — she sculpted it all in those feverish four months before the holiday.

In 2026, Hokanson will first set her sights on tai chi.

“I think it’s a martial art, but I don’t really know. That’s why I’m going to go try it out,” she laughed.

Hokanson said the senior center has been the perfect place to make friends. Her husband died in 2020, and her 11 kids have left the nest. 

“Going from 13 to one is really wild,” she said. “I needed to just be around friends. … I’m trying to fill my life with something that keeps me happy.”

Mike Winward, the senior center’s director, said that participation in the 60-plus social club has grown significantly in his past four years of leadership. That can be owed to an increase in programming, which stemmed from Winward’s desire to change the culture of the senior center to “someplace where you could just relax and kick back,” and word of mouth. Winward said lots of people insist, “I’m not old enough for that,” before realizing they’re not being invited to an “old folks’ home.”

In 2026, Winward said the senior center is going to continue to “party like crazy.”

Lifelong Heber City resident Vickie Todd remembers dropping off both her mother and grandmother at the senior center. Now 75, Todd herself participates. She’s seen an increase in activities and has made more friends through the center than she can count.

She’s also observed plenty of change in Heber City. Todd said that when she was growing up, kids rode bikes and horses to school, and there were barely any cars. With U.S. 40 now feeding into Main Street, that fact has certainly changed.

Meanwhile, Merrill Hall sticks to Wallsburg, where she has lived for over 30 years, for its small-town feel. It reminds her of growing up in Slaterville in Weber County.

Other than turning 100 in April, Hall can’t quite remember what she accomplished in 2025. 

“I’m too old,” she cackled.

Hall’s resolution is to stay active in the New Year. Although she has difficulties standing, she refuses to use a cane or walker and continues to climb the stairs at her home. She even stood for the Pledge of Allegiance before lunch.

The centenarian’s advice to Wasatch County residents going into 2026 is simple: “Be good and enjoy life.”

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Winter can often be a difficult time of year. For seniors living alone, however, especially in places like Summit County where the snowfall can easily cover one’s driveway and prevent easy access to transportation, it can be isolating or even dangerous.

That’s why the county offers a free program to help remove snow from seniors’ property. So far, there are about 15 residents who are 60 and older and without family in the area who are benefitting from the jail’s working inmates’ snow removal program.

“Seniors will either hear from others or hear from their senior centers that this program exists and will either contact me or get the necessary paperwork from one of my administrative assistants in order to apply,” said Jessica Wilde, Summit County’s senior citizen director.

The paperwork lets the county know whether the senior qualifies and gives the inmates from the Summit County Sheriff’s Office, who come to actually clear the snow, permission to render services.

Once Wilde receives the completed paperwork, she updates the list that is sent to deputies in charge of the working inmates program. Every time someone new is added or someone asks to be removed, the Sheriff’s Office receives a new list of telephone numbers, addresses and other important information about the senior requesting snow removal.

Wilde also calls the seniors who were on the list the previous year at the beginning of each season to ensure they still qualify for services and want to be included.

“Some people move, some people have their kids living with them now,” Wilde explained. “I contact everyone and do that, too. They just stay on the list. They don’t have to do the paperwork again.”

The initiative has been running since at least 2019. Wilde said she doesn’t know how long it’s been in place, though, because it was already established when she started working with the senior citizen program.

To qualify, seniors need to be 60 or older and living without family in the area to assist them. There are no income requirements. 

Anyone who is interested can reach out to Wilde by emailing her at jwilde@summitcountyutah.gov or by calling her office phone number, which is 435-336-3014.

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The National Ability Center held a senior takeover day Saturday, September 9, 2017. The event gave individuals aged 60+ an opportunity to try the center’s adaptive cycling and archery resources. (Tanzi Propst/Park Record)

Link to full gallery here: https://parkrecordphoto.smugmug.com/PHOTOS-NAC-Senior-Takeover/

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North Summit High School graduated 73 seniors Monday evening, May 22, 2017. The ceremony opened with a processional of students and flags followed by speeches, a special tribute and more. (Tanzi Propst/Park Record)

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The Park City High School girls and boys water polo teams faced off against Kearns High School at the Park City Aquatic Center Wednesday evening, May 10, 2017. Both the girls and the boys beat the Cougars, 7-6 and 13-8, respectively. The teams also recognized their senior members. (Tanzi Propst/Park Record)

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The Park City High School boys lacrosse team honored their seniors Friday evening, April 28, 2017, before the game against Davis High School at Dozier Field. The game was called due to weather at halftime, leaving the Miners with a 6-3 win. (Tanzi Propst/Park Record)

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The Park City High School boys basketball team honored their eight senior team members with their parents at the beginning of the game against Grantsville High School Friday evening, Feb. 10, 2017. The Miners fell to the Cowboys 39-68. (Tanzi Propst/Park Record)

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