Tacoma voters will see a sales tax on November's ballot, this time for arts and cultural programs

Supporters of a proposed new sales tax for the arts packed Tacoma City Council chambers Tuesday night to urge the council to approve it for the November ballot.

Council members did so enthusiastically.

With Mayor Victoria Woodards absent, the council voted 8-0 to forward Tacoma Creates to the November ballot as Proposition No. 1. If passed, the arts-and-culture package would be funded by a one-tenth of 1 percent sales tax that would last seven years and is expected to generate $5 million annually.

According to a city memo, the average Tacoma household would pay about $13 a year.

"Tacoma Creates includes arts, culture, science and heritage programs for youth after school and during summer. Tacoma Creates also offers residents free and discounted access to cultural activities, programs for every neighborhood and age, and expanded services to diverse, under-served and low-income populations," according to the proposition language.

Supporters said the Tacoma Creates would even the playing field and give lower-income kids and adults equitable access to arts programming as well as cultural institutions.

Among its goals:

▪ Enhance arts-and-culture education for Tacoma's school-aged children and boost after school programs.

▪ Expand access for all Tacomans to arts and cultural events, venues, performances, and exhibits by providing free and reduced tickets, admissions and memberships.

▪ Create new neighborhood programs and related cultural activities such as street fairs for each area of the city.

The resolution was sponsored by council members Ryan Mello, Conor McCarthy and Catherine Ushka. Councilman Chris Beale said he first had doubts about the proposition because sales taxes are regressive in nature, meaning that lower-income people pay a higher proportion of their income toward the tax than higher-income people. Beale said he was convinced to support the proposal by the accountability measures.

"I think this council is deeply committed to principles of equity and that all boats are raised by the tide," Beale said. "When we look at communities of color and communities that suffer with a higher rate of poverty, we're looking at a tax program here that's going to help set our kids up for success and create better social awareness."

The proposition contains certain financial requirements:

▪ Costs to administer the program would be capped at 8 percent.

▪ At least 52 percent of all revenues would be dedicated to programming located in Tacoma’s neighborhoods, including programs for youth, neighborhood events and community activities.

▪ Another 8 percent of all revenues would be dedicated to provide students of Tacoma Public Schools transportation to programs established or offered by Tacoma Creates.

▪ 6 percent of all revenues would be dedicated to provide to promote broad participation and equity on behalf of the community and by local nonprofit cultural organizations.

▪ The remainder of the money would be used to provide enhanced access for the benefit of Tacoma residents to attend or participate in cultural programs, events, or activities.

"I’m mostly voting for this for the kids who fall through the cracks," said Councilman Anders Ibsen, who graduated from Tacoma School of The Arts. "It's those kids' opportunity to feel safe and be more, regardless of what your neighborhood is, regardless of what language you speak."

If the proposition passes by a simple majority, the city's Office of Arts and Cultural Vitality would work to establish a Tacoma Creates Advisory Board, which would oversee implementation of the program. Members would be appointed by the City Council, and they would be tasked with delivering an annual progress report so voters could see if the program is doing what it set out to do.

The tax would add to Tacoma's current 10.1 percent sales-tax rate, which matches Seattle's and is among the highest in the state. If passed, Tacoma's sales tax rate would be 10.2 percent. A handful of Washington cities have a higher sales tax than 10.2 percent, including Mill Creek, Edmonds, Woodway, Lynnwood and Mountlake Terrace.

In order to get Tacoma Creates on the ballot, the city will pay about $174,528 or $1.50 per registered voter.

This story was originally published June 27, 2018 at 5:05 PM.