Campaign for tax to fund Berkeley arts groups says it has signatures needed to make 2026 ballot

"The campaign for a tax measure that would raise money for Berkeley's struggling performing arts organizations says it has collected enough signatures to get its initiative on the ballot this November. The Berkeley Arts Coalition said this week that it turned in more than 4,600 signatures to the Alameda County Registrar of Voters, well beyond the threshold needed to put the parcel tax before voters."

"A new coalition of arts groups that includes Berkeley Repertory Theater, Berkeley Symphony Orchestra and the Freight & Salvage announced last week that it will start collecting signatures for a parcel tax of 7 cents per square foot. That would translate to an increase of $105 per year for a 1,500 square-foot home and raise more than $5.5 million annually for the arts."

"We believe that Berkeley without the arts isn't Berkeley, said Liz Lisle, managing director of Shotgun Players. It's a basic value of the city. Attendance and subscriptions are only now starting to match pre-pandemic figures at Shotgun Players, which only this year returned to comparable revenue, Lisle said."

"Others haven't been so lucky. Aurora Theatre shut down earlier this year, joining a list of closures that also includes the Bay Area Children's Theater, TheatreFirst and the California Jazz Conservatory's degree program. Seventeen Berkeley arts organizations are listed on the coalition's website as endorsing the ballot measure, and Lisle said more support the campaign."

A coalition of Berkeley performing arts organizations has collected more than 4,600 signatures to place a parcel tax initiative on the November ballot. The proposed tax is 7 cents per square foot, which would increase taxes by about $105 per year for a 1,500 square-foot home. The measure would generate more than $5.5 million annually for struggling performing arts groups. Several organizations cite pandemic-related financial strain and uncertainty about relying on federal funding. Some groups have already closed, including Aurora Theatre, Bay Area Children's Theater, TheatreFirst, and the California Jazz Conservatory's degree program. The coalition includes Berkeley Repertory Theater, Berkeley Symphony Orchestra, and Freight & Salvage, with additional local arts organizations endorsing the effort.

Read at www.berkeleyside.org