First Night: Welcome to second place.

The Salt Lake County Council dropped the annual New Year's bash, held in downtown Salt Lake City, from the top Zoo, Arts and Parks funding level Tuesday. For years, First Night was in the highest funding group, along with the Utah Symphony & Opera and Ballet West.

Now the party must compete with more than 100 Tier-Two groups like Friends of Gilgal Garden, the Sandy Arts Guild and the Bluffdale Arts Council for a slice of the ZAP funding pie.

It's not that the Salt Lake County Council didn't want to keep First Night in the Tier-One funding group, where the competition isn't as stiff. They just have their hands tied, Councilman Joe Hatch said.

The Legislature restricts the number of Tier-One funding groups to 23, and First Night came in ranked No. 24, he said.

"The state Legislature says it's 23," Hatch said. "If it was 24, we wouldn't be here."

First Night officials pleaded with members of the County Council on Tuesday to change their minds, saying although the event is only one night a year, it impacts thousands of people.

"It isn't just a matter of one night," said Lane Beattie, president and chief executive of the Salt Lake Chamber. "It's just too important of an issue. First Night is important to the community overall."

First Night got $71,500 in 2005 and could still receive that same amount in the lower funding group. ZAP recipients in Tier Two can receive anywhere from $50,000 to $80,000, said Vicki Bourns, the county's ZAP program manager.

After three speeches from First Night officials begging the council to reconsider, Beattie changed his mind and said he will just try harder next year to get the event back into the top funding group.

Hatch said First Night could help its status by merging with the Utah Arts Festival. Both events aren't ongoing all year long, and if the groups merged, they could share Tier-One status like the Utah Symphony & Opera, Hatch said.

"A strategic merger would make a lot of sense," Hatch said.

Farrington said First Night officials would be interested in exploring that option but will continue to find other ways to convince the county to provide a bigger public subsidy.

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E-mail: ldethman@desnews.com