The effort to renew Cuyahoga County's cigarette tax to fund the arts cleared one hurdle toward landing on the fall ballot. ideastream's Nick Castele reports the board that distributes the revenues officially agreed to ask Cuyahoga County Council to place the measure before voters.
In 2006, voters approved a cigarette tax of 30 cents a pack. In the years since, Cuyahoga Arts & Culture has distributed that money to more than 300 arts groups to the tune of $125 million.
The measure is set to expire, and supporters hope to put it on the ballot for renewal this fall.
Cuyahoga Arts & Culture Executive Director Karen Gahl-Mills said tax receipts have been declining.
"This year we'll collect between $15 (million) and $16 million as opposed to around $20 million in that first year in 2008," Gahl-Mills said. "And this is our only source of revenue, so it's our job to make sure that those funds are invested wisely and well."
The biggest grants have gone to major Northeast Ohio arts institutions-such as the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Cleveland Orchestra and ideastream.
But Cuyahoga Arts & Culture has also awarded funding to smaller events and projects, like IngenuityFest in downtown Cleveland, and an art therapy program at the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center.
It's still up to Cuyahoga County Council to decide whether the measure will appear on the November ballot.
