Voters will decide on sales tax to fund nonprofits that work in natural sciences, history and arts. A march in the name of the arts, sciences and culture paraded through Old Town on Wednesday morning, with a stack of four boxes as its centerpiece.
The contents: more than 11,000 signatures to put a proposed tenth-of-a-percent sales tax on the November ballot to create a dedicated fund to support arts, cultural history and science programs in Larimer County. It would serve area nonprofits whose funding sources fluctuate every year, hampering their ability to operate or expand services.
“It’s really about access and keeping a quality and variety of life in keeping these activities accessible to the public,” said Bruce Freestone, an early organizer and advocate for the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District.
The tax would amount to a penny per $10 spent and would bring in an estimated $6.6 million in the first year. It would sunset in 10 years if voters don’t reauthorize it.
More than a dozen supporters walked from the Avery House and down College Avenue to drop off the petitions, including an all-too-perfect stop in the Oak Street Plaza where children were painting. The supporters cheered on the young artists as they carted the petitions to the Larimer County Courthouse Offices.
“With all the cuts to the schools, it’s up to the nonprofits (to support art programs),” supporter Linda Akey said. “The kids need that.”
While the effort to fund the district, modeled after a Denver proposal from the 1980s, has been floated for more than a decade, this is likely the first year it will go to voters for their consent.
The Larimer County Clerk and Recorders Office still needs to validate the petitions. Supporters say they submitted 50 percent more than required.
The initiative joins what will be a crowded ballot for voters. A new, $25 billion statewide healthcare system will go before Colorado voters, and the county is poised to ask for a quarter-percent sales tax increase to pay for a behavioral health center.
Freestone is not fazed. He started corralling supporters last year with an eye on the 2016 election. He knew it was a presidential year, meaning higher turnout and one with more progressive voters.
Northern Colorado has long relied on its creative economy as a draw for residents and tourists, Freestone said, and the measure will help keep those industries and services strong, he said.
“It’s a tiny little contribution, a penny on $10, and it’s going to make a world of difference for a lot of these groups,” Freestone said.
Nick Coltrain, nickcoltrain@coloradoan.com
Original article contains video and more on the November ballot:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/07/20/larimer-culture-tax-joins-crowded-november-ballot/87337406/