CENTERVILLE—Centerville City has created a special committee to help celebrate the United States’ 250th anniversary locally this year. By passing a resolution on Dec. 16 and organizing the committee, Centerville Utah250, the city becomes eligible to apply for  federal funds to help pay for these events.

“The mission of America250 Utah is to commemorate and celebrate, reflect on our nation’s past, build community, and look toward to the future by educating, engaging, and uniting Utahns and visitors to our State … The City acknowledges it will partner with and support America250 Utah as deemed appropriate and will support the Centerville Utah250 Community Committee to educate and engage citizens in America250 Utah,” the resolution said in part.

“America250 Utah aims to partner with Utah’s 250+ municipalities, county governments, and Tribal nations to create hundreds of exciting and engaging opportunities to commemorate and celebrate local events and everyday Americans who have shaped our history,” the state committee website says.

City organizers hope to be able to celebrate the nation’s semiquincentennial in conjunction with regularly scheduled events this year.

“My plan from the staff member perspective is to already bundle this with things we’re doing so it won’t create an additional cost for us,” Recreation Coordinator Haley Turner told the city council. “I think the funding will really be used to support the committee and any staff time that it requires to kind of monitor that.”

The city will need to apply to America250 Utah with a description of events it would like help funding. It is unclear how the projects will be chosen and how much funding is available. 

America250 Utah will also host monthly check-in calls to coordinate and help the committees and designated planners. The organization has also provided the city with a toolkit to help plan activities.

“We want to celebrate with the nation in Utah America’s 250th anniversary, make that part of our events and celebrations this year,” Turner said.