Page 1 - Sentinel October 2016
P. 1
OCTOBER 2016
Let’s get political! Vote YES on ballot issue 4B!
I don’t think political the regional economy and employed more than 10,000
issues are appropriate people. More than 14 million people — 4 million of them
for a community news- kids — attend SCFD-funded programs each year.
letter, but the Scientif-
ic and Cultural Facili- Let me tell you Douglas County’s story. Each county has
ties District has given a board of volunteer citizens (Tier III) which distributes
great joy to millions the monies allocated by district formulas. I was on the
of Colorado residents Douglas County Tier III board the ï¬rst year the program
since its inception in existed—1988-89.
1988. Its funding is up
for renewal. In 1989, the ï¬rst distribution year, the population of
the entire county was just about 60,000. Today it’s over
Recently, Colorado 325,000. SCFD monies are distributed to the counties
was named one of the proportionately, so Douglas was low on the scale. Addi-
top states in cultural tionally, in 1989 only a small portion of the county was in
participation by the the district, Parker, Highlands Ranch (much smaller then),
National Endowment maybe Sedalia. Lone Tree didn’t exist, of course, but it
for the Arts (NEA)—SCFD is one reason why. From the now has an arts center which opened in 2011, funded in
ballet to the zoo, the Denver Symphony to the botanic gar- part by SCFD.
dens, artistic and cultural groups throughout metro Den-
ver have beneï¬ted from sales taxes: one cent on each $10 In 1989 we had only about $2,500 to allocate to organiza-
spent goes to the cultural district. The District includes tions in Douglas County and only about six or seven or-
the counties of Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomï¬eld, ganizations applied, most from other counties. For the ï¬s-
Denver, Douglas (except for Castle Rock and Larkspur, cal year 2015-2016, the Tier III board in Douglas County
where voters opted out) and Jefferson. awarded a total of $596,986.34 to 46 organizations, ten
of which are based in Douglas County. Based on my per-
If you live in Castle Rock proper or are a resident of the spective from the ï¬rst ï¬ve years of SCFD, that’s a stag-
town of Larkspur (some 180 voters) you are not a resident gering success story!
of the SCFD, but every other resident of the county is, in-
cluding everyone else in zip code 80118.You have a vote There wasn’t much “culture†going on in Douglas County
to approve this important program. in 1989, and we often had to be creative with our “seed
money†to encourage the arts and sciences to grow. But
How do you beneï¬t? Ever been to the zoo or the Chil- grow they did. Keep it growing. Vote yes on ballot issue
dren’s Museum, a play at the Denver Center or in Lone 4B to keep the Scientiï¬c and Cultural Facilities District
Tree or Parker? A concert at Cherokee Ranch? You’ve alive and well—and to keep cultural events flourishing in
beneï¬ted. According to the SCFD, cultural organizations your own backyard. ~KDale
within the district contributed more than $1.8 billion into