ARTS & SCIENCE COUNCIL

The Arts & Science Council, which provides funding for initiatives like Project Harmony, is taking its campaign for a quarter-cent sales tax to a new podcast, Culture For All.

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The Arts & Science Council is taking an all or nothing approach to the Nov. 5 referendum that would add a quarter-cent sales tax to benefit the arts.

With the most to gain from the proposed Mecklenburg County sales increase, ASC launched a podcast, Culture For All, to encourage voters to approve the referendum. Unlike a similar referendum in 2014, the benefitting entities have months rather than weeks to campaign for increased funding.

Mecklenburg’s sales tax rate is 7.25 percent. An approved referendum would generate an estimated additional $50 million to be split between ASC, which would receive 49 percent, parks and greenways (30 percent) and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools teachers (16 percent).

Poll: Should Mecklenburg County pay more to support the arts?

What does that $50 million split look like in terms of dollars? ASC would earn $22.5 million, $17 million would go to parks and greenways and $8 million to supplemental teacher pay. The remaining $2.5 million would be distributed among Mecklenburg’s six towns for their own use.  

“It is critical for voters in Mecklenburg County to be informed and understand how the proposed sales tax will benefit them as they prepare to vote in November,” ASC President Jeep Bryant said in a statement.  “This podcast is one effective way to provide facts and impact stories from residents across Mecklenburg County and also hear from listeners and answer their questions.”

The first season of Culture For All’s five episodes are hosted by Mecklenburg County creatives and members of the media sharing stories about ASC’s work in the community as well as logistics behind the proposed sales tax increase. The episodes are:

• The Role of Creative Individuals, hosted by John W. Love, Jr.

• Arts In and Out of the Classroom, hosted by Mary C. Curtis

• Community & Belonging, hosted by Banu Valladares

• The Arts Mean Business, hosted by Glenn Burkins

The podcast is available on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, SoundCloud, TuneIn and ASC’s website ArtsAndScience.org/CultureForAllPodcast.

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