Tom Parrish from the Berkeley Repertory Theater says the proposed tax is important because Berkeley’s a hub for the region.
“Berkeley has a very high concentration of arts organizations relative to the size of the population," Parrish said. "So, we are very much a destination for people throughout the region in terms of arts and culture.”
The Berkeley Arts Coalition said that it turned in nearly twice the number of signatures needed to put the parcel tax on the November ballot.
Parrish says the tax will cost the average homeowner about a hundred and five dollars a year.
“It's estimated to generate over six million dollars annually to support and save Berkeley arts organizations and individual artists and community festivals.”
He says the Berkeley arts community is still struggling to bounce back from the pandemic.
“And we've already lost, in Berkeley alone, some very significant theater companies, including Aurora Theatre, Bay Area Children's Theater, which was one of the largest children's theaters in the United States, Theatre First, and now Central Works is another theater closing. So, we're seeing real strain amongst the organizations in the city.”
These losses occur in an already strained economic climate. In fiscal year 2024, the U.S. spent about five dollars-per-person on arts and culture funding. Canada spent nearly 65 times that much per-person in the same year.
The parcel tax aims to stabilize Berkeley’s arts community and prevent future closures of arts organizations. The measure will sunset after 12 years.
