Others with free parking include members of the airport board, who hold meetings at the airport, major city department heads and Salt Lake County Sheriff Aaron Kennard. The latter is the only one on the list who is neither a city official nor a member (or staff) of the congressional delegation.

Kennard says he never requested the privilege. Sheriffs before him also apparently had it, he said. "I only use it when I drive my county car out there" on official business, he said.

Of note, public officials are not the only ones who may receive free parking at the airport. Gann notes it is available also to news media reporters. Those who are there to cover stories may have their parking validated free by showing credentials, she said.

Also, senior City Attorney Jodi L. Howick said city employees who work at the airport are given free parking, and a number of free parking spaces are allocated to tenants in terminals, based on the amount of space they rent.

Also, some federal agencies, such as the Federal Aviation Administration, require airports to provide a number of free parking spaces to support their activities at the airport, Howick said.

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E-mail: lee@desnews.com