City Hall – 7505 South Holden Street • Midvale, UT 84047
Midvale Monthly with Mayor Gettel
Investing in Midvale’s Future: Budgeting for Continued
As we move forward into a new scal year, I want to take a moment to share some important highlights from the City’s tentative 2025-2026 budget. This year’s proposed budget re ects both our community values and our commitment to providing essential services e ciently and sustainably.
Two of the most signi cant increases in this year’s budget are in public safety and employee wages, and I’d like to share why these investments are not only necessary, but vital to the long-term success of Midvale.
A Safer Midvale for All
Public safety has always been a foundational priority for our city. This year, we’re expecting a 3.8% increase, approximately $520,000, to the Uni ed Police Department (UPD) budget. This investment will help support competitive wages and bene ts for our o cers, enhance access to essential protective equipment, expand critical training opportunities, and ensure we maintain the sta ng levels necessary to respond quickly and e ectively to the needs of our growing community.
Safety is more than a line item: It’s the foundation of a thriving city. When residents feel safe in their homes, businesses, parks, and neighborhoods, they are more engaged, more connected, and more willing to invest in the community. Our public safety personnel work tirelessly to keep Midvale secure, and it’s our responsibility to ensure they have the resources and support they need to do their jobs well.
Investing in Our People
Success
The second major increase in this year’s tentative budget is an investment in our city’s most valuable asset: our employees. From public works crews to community development sta , city employees keep Midvale running every single day.
Our proposed Fiscal Year 2026 budget includes 2.2% cost-of-living and 2% merit increases for all eligible employees. This estimated $230,000 overall increase is not just about staying competitive in a challenging labor market, it’s about recognizing the hard work, dedication, and professionalism of the people who serve the residents of Midvale. Retaining top talent ensures continuity, e ciency, and better service delivery. It means fewer disruptions, faster response times, and a city government that truly understands and responds to the needs of its residents. Competitive wages and bene ts also help us attract highly quali ed candidates for open positions, further strengthening the quality of service you receive.
Balancing Responsibility with Vision
As careful stewards of taxpayer dollars, we balance scal responsibility with the bold, strategic investments needed to build a stronger future. By prioritizing public safety and employee compensation, we are laying the groundwork for a stronger, safer, and more resilient Midvale.
Thank you for your continued trust and engagement. As always, I welcome your thoughts and input as we nalize the budget and continue building a better Midvale together!
In The Middle of Everything
Midvale Harvest Days: 87 Years Strong
In 1938, when the local Kiwanis Club announced the rst “Harvest Days”, there were only 2,700 people living in Midvale City. Since then, the celebration has held a special place in the hearts of Midvale residents, with memories spanning generations.
Fred Tanner attended those rst Harvest Day celebrations, when the freeway was still railroad tracks kids played on the slag dumps.
“I was really young then,” Tanner re ected. “The leaders would block, with sandbags, both ends of Main Street—from Center Street over to First Avenue. They’d turn on the re hydrant and put sh in there. People don’t believe me, but this is the honest truth.”
Other prizes, like pet ducks, could be won by tossing a nickel into a cup. Tanner won several ducks, but his favorite, Skippy, who was almost dinner. Tanner said, “No, not him.” When he tried to free the duck at the river, the duck wouldn’t have it. Local smelter cop Roy Steadman spot-
ted them walking home and paid Tanner 50 cents to keep Skippy. His life was saved.”
“Harvest Days” lived up to its name in 1942, when local farmers were low on labor and requested schools to send kids out during the day to help them gather the ripe vegetables and fruit.
In the 1950s, Joseph Gomez remembers Midvale hosting the 3rd largest parade in the state. “It was very exciting to see motorcycling policemen, we loved to hear them rumble by,” Gomez reminisced.
He and his friends loved the carnival rides and prizes, too. “Once the parade was over, everyone would head down to the end of Smelter Street to a huge carnival with a Ferris wheel, Octopus and The Hammer,” Gomez said. The kids would rush to get Chinese handcu s and kewpie dolls with feathers and a big head.
Gomez and other kids his age were encouraged to sell tickets for a ra e for a brand new car–Yes, you read that right, this was no Matchbox car prize– a real, working car. Tickets sold for a single dollar, and the kids would get 10 cents for every ticket they sold.
Midvale Explore
In 1955, Harvest Days featured daredevils like The Great Kisselburg who crashed through rewalls in a car, juggling acts, and wrestling matches with names like Man Mountain Dean Jr. and Roughhouse Spud Harris.
In 1970, Harvest Days boasted the world’s championship watermelon seed-spitting contest.
“Angels Camp, Calaveras County, Calif., may have their frog jumping contest but Midvale, taking a back seat to no one, will stage the ‘World’s championship watermelon seed spitting contest’,” The Midvale Sentinel exclaimed.
This was also the year for good shopping deals. “Midvale merchants conduct[ed] one of the largest sales of merchandise in the history of the town,” said The Midvale Sentinel.
In 1992, a booth at the carnival o ered ra e tickets for a handmade quilt. This wasn’t an ordinary fundraiser– The proceeds were going to the family of 14-year-old Jennifer Ortega, who needed a live-saving liver transplant and they needed help covering the $250,000 procedure in San Francisco.
Former Mayor Robert Hale recalls quirky highlights, like goat yoga. His favorite activity was the block parties. “They really bring neighborhoods together,” Hale remembered. “it made neighborhoods responsible for what’s happening. City o cials and police would come and people would work out neighborhood issues.”
The Midvale Museum sees more visitors during Harvest Days. In 2024, Director Bill Miller brought in paranormal investigators. “The uniform over there,” he said, pointing to a military display, “mentioned my name a few times.”
The train shows ended after Marty, who ran them, passed away—but Miller still senses him. “Sometimes I feel like Marty’s still here,” he said. “I think I’m the last person that ever talked to Marty.”
When Candy Tippetts was in charge of Harvest days for six years, she organized events like Bingo, movie nights, and safety night with free helmets. The biggest attraction was Bingo. “The park was packed for Bingo,” Tippetts mused. “There were free prizes. We would usually have something big like a big-screen TV.”
“Our reworks are the best show in the valley,” Tippetts proudly shared. “Harvest Days is the last city event in the summer – We’d get a really good deal on reworks because [sellers] can’t store them.”
Some things change and some things stay the same. The Queen contest became the Youth Ambassadors program, which eventually grew into the Mayor’s NexGen initiative. While we no longer ood Main Street or ra e o brand-new cars, we host Art Shows and Museum nights. We still have bingo, carnival row games and, of course, reworks!
What continues is the heart of the celebration: neighbors connecting, families making memories, and a city coming together to laugh, play, and celebrate where they live. Whether it’s catching trout, winning a atscreen TV, or watching reworks light up the summer sky—Harvest Days is, and always will be, about community. And 2025 will be no di
– We can’t wait to see you there!
JUNE 2025 CITY NEWSLETTER
MIDVALE. UTAH. GOV
Meet the Midvale Main Art House Artists: Ash Amos
For Ash Amos, art isn’t simply a career choice – it’s a way of being. His professional journey
As he entered adulthood, art became a deeply personal outlet for processing grief. “I lost one of my best friends who was in one of my bands,” Amos re ected. “In that dark time, I found a bunch of my grandma’s paintings. I just helped myself to them. I started painting as a way to deal with those extreme and heavy emotions, and to escape.”
Though paint is his most practiced and familiar medium, he has branched out to include typography, digital art, large-scale installations, sculptures and woodworking. His guiding motto for remaining versatile and growth-minded: ‘A jack of all trades but master of none, but oftentimes better than the master of one.’
The Midvale Main Art House is a creative cornerstone of the community—an incubator for artists and a hub for cultural connection. Situated along a stretch of Main Street adorned with over 40 murals, it plays a key role in the area’s transformation into a recognized Arts and Culture District. The space o ers hands-on workshops, fosters relationships between residents and local artists, and showcases distinctive, oneof-a-kind artisan creations.
Amos has been at the Midvale Main Art House since it opened in 2024 where he has been perfecting the basics and falling in love
“When I rst started, I wanted every painting to be packed with symbolism and a message with peace or tranquility,” he recalled. “As I’ve gone on, I’m more focused on developing techniques without relying too much on a message. If you can make your artwork just using just the most foundational elements of design–art, shape–and create something that’s striking and beautiful–that’s what endlessly fascinates me.”
An art career is not for the faint of heart. “Last year was the rst time my income wouldn’t be considered extreme poverty,” Amos said. But to rise up as an artist is not a solo endeavor. He believes in the power of community. Other artists aren’t competition; He believes that “rising tides lift all boats.”
Art from one artist will speak to people in di erent ways, making all art valuable. He believes in symbiotic relationships where artists help each other succeed.
Amos envisions his future with a dedicated space that combines a retail area, workshop, and production facility, equipped with the tools necessary for large-scale art creation and printing. This space would serve as a creative incubator, allowing for the development of immersive installations and fostering a collaborative environment for artists.
To nd that future, he nds that he needs to be adaptable.“If I work hard and have integrity, and am passionate, things are going to work,” he said. “Hard things are going to work out, one way or another.”
Sharing his work with the world isn’t about courage; it’s about staying true to who he is. Art is not only his calling, but the language through which he processes life, connects with others, and builds community. “I can’t imagine not doing that,” Amos mused.
The Midvale Main Art House, located at 7697 S Main St., is open to the public. You can meet the artists, like Ash Amos, join interactive workshops, purchase one-of-a-kind art and explore an open gallery showcasing local art.
Hours of operation: Tuesday - Thursday: 5pm-8pm Saturday: 2pm-7pm
Learn more at EngageMidvale.com/Art-House.
From Retail to Roo ops: e West Main Project Takes Shape
Progress continues on Main Street— The Pearl Theatre got a face-lift, new lights illuminate the street, murals bloom across the buildings, and a fresh wave of restaurants and shops are emerging.
On the northwest side of Main Street, between Smelter St. and Depot St., a new project is underway, with completion scheduled for Fall 2025. This area, like the rest of Main Street, is multipurpose. The ground oor will be retail and restaurant, while the upper oors will be a ordable housing.
And when we say a ordable, we mean it. The residents who can live here need to be under the 60% AMI for the area–in other words, they need to make 40% less than the median income of the area. A ordable here does not mean primitive. The living space includes a rooftop patio with BBQ areas and a dog run. There is exclusive parking for residents, a gym, and easy access to the shops on the ground oor, as well as direct access to Main Street.
The West Main Project helps bring to life the entire street, especially on the north end that has fewer attractions. “This one checks so many boxes,” Nate Rockwood, Assistant City Manager and long-time project contributor, said. “Retail, restaurant, a ordable housing, amenities on the rooftop. These are things that will actually activate the street.”
Main Street continues to ourish under the watchful eye of Midvale’s RDA, with the annual Los Muros Mural Festival, improvements outside The Pearl, and the opening of the food truck plaza this summer. Stay tuned for more news on the rejuvenation of Main Street, Midvale!
Protect Your Pet from Summer Fun
Salt Lake County Animal Services
More pets go missing in the summer months than at any other time of year. Make sure they always have on a collar with an ID tag, with up-to-date info. Microchipping your pet is also important in the event your pet goes missing.
Watch out for these sounds of summer:
Barbecues: If guests are going to be coming in and out of the front door or back gate, keep your pets in a secure area, or put them in their crate. An unsecured gate or door left open is the perfect opportunity for your pet to take themselves on an adventure without you.
Thunderstorms: According to the ASPCA, 1 in 5 pets goes missing after being scared by loud noises. Be sure to bring your pet indoors and keep them away from open windows when summer storms roll into your area.
Fireworks: The loud noise of rework displays, big or small, is scary and disorienting to pets. Leave them at home, inside with a loud fan, or calming music. If the reworks display is in your driveway, be sure to clean up the leftover rework debris, never underestimate what your dog may try to eat. Fireworks are poisonous to pets.
All pets in Salt Lake County can receive a free microchip at Salt Lake County Animal Services. We welcome you to bring in your pet to Animal Services at 511 W 3900 S, Tue – Sat, 10 AM -6 PM, to get your pet microchipped.
Find a lost pet? Contact your local animal control! The rst place pet owners look for a lost pet is at their local shelter. How you can help if you nd a lost pet: post a photo of them, where you found them, and what shelter they went to on the NextDoor App or Utah Lost & Found Pets Facebook Group. All pets at Salt Lake County Animal Services can be seen online at AdoptUtahPets.org.
