Commissioners consider another tax hike

Tax could fund art and drama therapy in jails

The revolving door of agencies asking county commissioners for your tax dollars was spinning like the reels of a slot machine at Monday’s work session. Representatives from the Washington Arts Commission (promoting arts and offering tribal cultural grants), Inspire Washington (a program that nurtures the human spirit and strengthens communities through art), the North Olympic History Center, Olympic Theater Arts, the Fine Arts Center, PA Players, and the Juan de Fuca Foundation for the Arts were all in attendance to promote a 1/10th of 1% increase on county sales tax.

The new tax would fund nonprofit organizations that increase students' access to cultural activities and programming. It may also fund cultural organizations with the primary purpose of advancing or preserving science or technology, visual or performing arts, heritage, or natural history.

David Herbelin of Sequim’s Olympic Theater Arts says these nonprofits “create the spirit of Clallam County. They provide education, entertainment, enrichment, inspiration, a sense of community, and tons of commerce.”

Herbelin says counties investing in the arts have higher graduation rates, better civic participation, neighborhood cohesion, and a sense of pride. He emphasized that many organizations promote culture and arts, but they have to do it without government support. Herbelin explained that a vote of the people could approve the tax increase, but voting would be problematic because a public vote campaign can exhaust valuable resources.

Tax can be imposed without a vote of the people

However, the tax hike can also be imposed by a much easier “councilmanic” process, which leaves the decision up to the three commissioners (who make double the income of the average Clallam County resident). This way, the tax can be imposed on the people regardless of whether they want to support the organizations. The commissioners could then hand-pick favored organizations to receive the funds.

The City of Tacoma passed a similar sales tax increase in 2018. Their office of Arts and Vitality had been operating with less than $200,000, but after the sales tax was instated, the program swelled to over $6.5 million in its first year.

Commissioner Randy Johnson estimates the tax would generate about $1.8 million annually. Advocates of the program, established through state bill HB1575, say it would create jobs. The bill allows up to 8% of collected funds to be used to pay for program administration, which could create a $144,000 tax-funded position.

Herbelin already knew which meeting attendee was the perfect fit for the job. He told the commissioners, “One of the things we’ve discussed as stakeholders in all of this is we all feel very comfortable with ArtsWA [Washington Arts Commission] running administration for this. It is an outside entity; this is what they do.”

In other words, allowing a vote of the people to determine the tax increase would be too costly, but paying an Olympia-based administrator up to $144,000 is not.

Commissioner Johnson is worried about asking more of taxpayers in an economically depressed region. “It’s just not robust, I guess, is the way to put it,” he said of the county’s economy, which has been circling the drain for over a decade. “Not only are we looking at multitudes of layoffs that are occurring, but other issues that we have related to county finances. Timing is not exactly the greatest thing.”

With the McKinley Paper Mill closing in August, the County and City of Port Angeles will feel the squeeze when an estimated $1.1 million in tax revenue disappears. This new tax increase, combined with a possible doubling of the hospital levy and Clallam 2’s Fire-Rescue levy, will allow local government to continue status quo operations while locals tighten their budgets and an increasing number of properties cease paying taxes as they are absorbed into tribal land trusts.

Not taking money away from anything

Kyle LeMaire argued that the program increases the workforce. If his organization, Juan de Fuca Foundation for the Arts, were to receive the money, “We’d be using it to hire on an educator, so you’re creating jobs by doing this as well. It’s also not taking money away from anything because it’s actually adding its own line-item sales tax.”

Herbelin explained that programs created in the schools have long-reaching effects on antisocial students and students with criminal behavior, and the programs have improved mental health. The tax increase could also fund drama and art therapy in jails and juvenile facilities.

West End Commissioner Mike French imagines funding the Salmon Coalition to teach public school kids how to fish, which would “teach them a lot of really cool social skills.” French continued, “I’m a proponent of this at this point. I feel like my life has been very much enriched by access to cultural programs, and I want to make sure the next generation has that opportunity as well.”

Commissioner Ozias wants to know specifics before the revenue stream is initiated, and he peppered the presenters with questions. “Who are the audiences? What does this mean? Would we be focused within the school districts? Is transportation the barrier? What other barriers are there?”

The Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction offers a report card for school districts that suggests arts, culture, and fishing lessons may not be the top priority for our students. The report card for Sequim School District says 54% meet English standards, 41% meet math, and 47% meet science. Port Angeles fairs similarly. Forks is about the same in English but drops to 17% in math and 18% in science. Cape Flattery drops to 30% of students meeting English standards, but 22% meet math and 24% meet science.

Prices for basic goods continue to soar, more of our neighbors are out of work, and the list of businesses calling it quits in Clallam County is growing — due either to economic headwinds or the Board of Commissioners and Tribal governments working in tandem to wipe them out. However, county leaders still think there is blood to squeeze from this turnip.

The commissioners gave $125,000 of your money to the Humane Society after the Executive Director got a 48% pay raise. They also supported the hospital’s levy increase after you paid for the CEO's salary jump to $283,250. Once Towne Road is completed next month, we will know how many millions of your dollars were spent after the Jamestown Tribe deliberately breached the original dike ahead of schedule.

But as the age-old saying goes, “If you teach a kid to fish, they learn a lot of really cool social skills.”