A recommendation on whether Utah should bid for an Olympic Winter Games has been delayed until a professional is hired to put the bid in the best possible light.
Lt. Governor Greg Bell, co-chairman of Utah’s Olympic Exploratory Committee said, “if you just do something on the back of an envelope, it’s not very impressive. You really want to quantify and explain, as well as possible, the costs, the risks, the benefits”.
Bell said although there is plenty enthusiasm in the community for a 2022 bid, there are concerns that that could make it difficult to justify another try. He said, “you have to ask yourself, ‘are our chances really good enough to raise money and get people excited. There’s still a question despite the face we’d love to have them”.
He said after meeting with a wide range of constituency groups, the consensus appears to be that Utahns want the opportunity to relive the success of the 2002 Winter Games.
He added it could be tough to come up with enough contributions to cover bid costs that add up to as much as $30 million, since the effort is expected to be privately funded.
The exploratory committee met behind closed doors Thursday to work on a proposed budget for the bid and the Games, and the committee is scheduled to meet again May 17.
Bell said the committee’s report to Governor Gary Herbert is key because it will be seen by not only Utahns, but also by the U.S. and International Olympic Committees, which will ultimately decided if Utah gets another Games.
Bell said he’s been assured the exploratory committee has time to bring in an expert to put together the report, which may not be finished until July or even later.
The committee, which has about $30,000 available from a recent fundraiser, may need more donations to pay for preparing a report. A final decision should be made at the next meeting.
