press room

For Immediate Release

11/11/2004

Contact:
Virginia Anagnos
Goodman Media
212.576.2700 x222
virginia@goodmanmedia.com


Local Ballot Initiatives Supporting the Arts
Pass Convincingly in Six out of Eight States

Results Underscore The Public’s Support For The Arts

WASHINGTON, D.C., November 11, 2004—According to an analysis released today by the Americans for the Arts Action Fund, Election Day, November 2, was a good day for local initiatives supporting the arts. Thirteen such initiatives were on ballots in eight states, and all but two passed convincingly—in one case with 89 percent of the vote.

The 11 initiatives that passed were in Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Utah, and Virginia. The two that failed were in Missouri and Montana.

“The public is very supportive of the arts,” said Robert L. Lynch, President and CEO of Americans for the Arts, “and these results reflect that fact. The challenge for arts advocates is to make that support even clearer to elected officials and other funders of the arts throughout the nation. That’s a challenge that Americans for the Arts’ newly created Arts Action Fund is now pursuing.”

Americans for the Arts, the leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts in America, created the Arts Action Fund last month to engage citizens throughout the nation in making known their support for the arts and advocating increasing support from all funding sources.

A state-by-state listing of the 13 local initiatives and the election results is attached. The complete analysis report of the 2004 election impact on the arts at the federal, state, and local levels is available online at www.ArtsActionFund.org/specialreports.

The Arts Action Fund adds a new dimension to arts advocacy in the United States by providing a vehicle through which any citizen can help ensure that all Americans have the opportunity to appreciate, value, and participate in the arts. Created by Americans for the Arts, the Arts Action Fund is spearheading a national citizenship membership campaign to increase support for the arts. Additional information on the Arts Action Fund, including information on how to join, is available at www.ArtsActionFund.org.

 

2004 Local Ballot Initiatives Impacting The Arts

Colorado

• Denver Metro SCFD Initiative: Passed with 65 percent of the vote on average in all seven counties. Reauthorizes the 0.01 percent retail sales tax that funds the Scientific & Cultural Facilities District (SCFD), a program that has distributed more than $400 million to arts and science groups since 1988. SCFD generates more than $30 million each year to support over 300 local cultural organizations.
• Grand Junction Ballot Issue 5T:  Passed with 89 percent of the vote.  Extends the TIF (Tax Increment Financing) that was to expire in 2006. The diversion of those funds could mean up to $18 million in bonding ability for the Downtown Development Authority and expanded what the funds could be used for to include  improvements to streets, parks plazas, structures, and the potential relocation of the Western Colorado Center for the Arts.

Florida

• Miami-Dade County General Obligation Bond Question 8 Initiative: Passed with 66 percent of the vote.    Issues bonds to construct and improve libraries, cultural facilities, and Head Start learning centers for preschool children and to offer multicultural educational opportunities and activities. This is one of eight issues that was part of the General Obligation Bond 2004 (GOB), which will divide almost $3 billion among a wide variety of programs over the next 30 years. It will cost taxpayers an average of about $20 per person per year.
• Pinellas County Initiative:  Passed with 64 percent of the vote. Increases teacher’s salaries as well as supports activities for the visual and performing arts in schools.  This will allow the string program to be added back into Pinellas County schools.

Illinois

• Boone County Tax referendum for arts/museums:  Passed with 57 percent of the vote.  Allows power to levy a tax not to exceed .02 percent of the value of taxable property that will go to the County Historical District for arts and museums.

Maryland

• Baltimore City Question P Bond Issue: Passed with 74 percent of the vote. Authorizes the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore to borrow up to $500,000 to be used for the acquisition of land or property and the construction, improvement, and repair of buildings, structures, or facilities to be used by or in connection with the Walters Art Museum.
• Baltimore City Question Q Bond Issue: Passed with 76 percent of the vote. Authorizes the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore to borrow up to $500,000 to be used for the acquisition of land or property and the construction, renovation, and repair of buildings, structures, or facilities to be used by or in connection with the Baltimore Museum of Art.
• Prince George’s County Question D:  Passed with 74 percent of the vote.  Enables the county to borrow money and issue bonds in an amount not exceeding $11,780,000. Will give the opportunity to fund a performing arts center for the Thomas G. Pullen K–8 School for the Performing Arts.  Pullen School serves more than 800 children from across the entire county studying violin, cello, dance, poetry, chorus, band, orchestra, computer art, and the visual arts.

Missouri 

• Kansas City Initiative: Failed with approval from only one out of five counties (the measure needed support from three counties to pass).  Residents of five Missouri and Kansas counties were asked to approve a one-fourth of one cent retail sales tax that, over 12 to 15 years, would have raised $500 million to $600 million for arts- and sports-building projects. During the first four years of the tax, $12.5 million would be allocated annually to building a Kansas City Performing Arts Center; another large portion would be used for regional and local arts programs.

Montana

• Billings Initiative:  Failed with 38 percent of the vote.  Would have boosted funding for museums and cultural organizations in Yellowstone County. This is the fourth time in the past eight years that cultural organizations have tried to increase property taxes to support museums and cultural programs. (The measure would have raised approximately $600,000 a year for organizations such as the Alberta Bair Theater, the Billings Symphony Orchestra, and an umbrella group for local nonprofits.)

Utah

• Salt Lake County Initiative: Passed with 71 percent of the vote.  Re-authorizes the Zoo, Arts & Parks program.  This is a county sales tax (one-tenth of one percent) dedicated to funding recreational facilities, the zoo, and cultural organizations.  This tax generates about $15 million per year for distribution.
• Tooele City Proposal 1: Passed with 57 percent of the vote.  Increases the sales tax by one-tenth of one percent to fund expansion of existing parks and, eventually, the creation of new parks throughout the city. The tax will bring in about $300,000 a year and will boost the sales tax in the city from 6.25 percent to 6.35 percent, still below Salt Lake County's rate. In addition to the park in northeast Tooele, the money will be used for other parks and arts funding in the city, at the council's discretion.

Virginia

• Loudoun County, VA, Initiative: Passed with 58 percent of the vote.  Issues General Obligation bonds in the maximum amount of $15,430,000 to finance, in whole or in part, the cost to design, construct, and equip the Franklin Park Performing Arts Center (approximately $1.4 million).