The Arts’ 2008 Austin City Council Voters Guide

ATTENTION AUSTIN ARTISTS AND THE CITIZENS OF AUSTIN: Please review the following page before voting for the May 10, 2008 Austin City Council Elections. There are three Council seats up for election and the Arts Alliance hosted their third consecutive Austin City Council Candidates Arts forum and posts the following three questions regarding the $2.2 billion arts industry (Music, Film/Video, Visual, Performance & Literature) for the 2008 Austin, TX City Council candidates. The candidates attendance to the forum is listed below and the responses to Austin arts’ most pressing issues are posted verbatim. REMEMBER, no answer is an answer. Please review their answers or, lack thereof, as a guide to your vote for the future of Austin, TX:

Question 1: Austin is the only major city of its size that does not commit general revenue funds to the arts. Would you support beginning the process of providing general revenue funds to the arts, that would be in addition to the current funding from the hotel/motel tax?

Place 1 Candidate Responses:

Allen Demling (Attended Austin City Council Candidates Arts Forum): Yes, I favor supporting the arts from the general fund money. One of the major attractions for the City of Austin is the Arts community. We need to provide additional funding over and above the hotel tax that is currently used. Any money spent by the city should be viewed as an investment because the arts contribute heavily to the local economy.

Lee Leffingwell (Attended Austin City Council Candidates Arts Forum): Depending on revenue availability, I would seek additional revenues for the arts.

Jason Meeker (Attended Austin City Council Candidates Arts Forum) (has not responded yet):

Place 3 Candidate Responses:

Jennifer Kim (Attended Austin City Council Candidates Arts Forum but left after introductory remarks): I would support arts funding from the General Revenue Fund. I would be careful about committing a certain amount or percentage until I have information about the City’s revenue.

Randi Shade (Attended Austin City Council Candidates Arts Forum): I support re-examining how we spend the hotel/motel tax and endorse allocating more funds to the arts. I understand the desire for a more consistent, predictable source of funding and am open to finding ways to direct more general fund money to support the arts, but I can’t make a specific commitment without weighing the options within the context of what general revenue is actually available in the coming year.

Ken Weiss (Attended Austin City Council Candidates Arts Forum) (has not responded yet):

Place 4 Candidate Responses:

Robin Cravey (Attended Austin City Council Candidates Arts Forum) (has not responded yet):

Jennifer Gale (Did not attend Austin City Council Candidates Arts Forum) (has not responded yet):

Cid Galindo (Attended Austin City Council Candidates Arts Forum): Yes, and I would do it by creating a new Department of Cultural and Visual Arts, separate from the Parks and Recreation Department.  Most major cities in the country with great arts programs have a separate arts department, funded in part by general revenues.

Laura Morrison (Attended Austin City Council Candidates Arts Forum): I do support beginning a process to provide general revenue funds to the arts in addition to funding from the hotel/motel tax. Revenues from the hotel/motel tax are restricted by state law only to arts endeavors that bring tourists to town. Our funding must recognize that a vibrant art community is essential also to all residents of Austin. Each of us that have a piece of the arts in our lives are enriched. Personally, my life is enriched by weekly tap dancing and annual attendance at the SXSW Film Festival.

Samuel Osemene (Attended Austin City Council Candidates Arts Forum) (has not responded yet):

Ken Vasseau (Attended Austin City Council Candidates Arts Forum) (has not responded yet):

Question 2: Currently, arts and entertainment functions are scattered among several city departments. The Create Austin Task Force has recommended that Austin establish a new cabinet level department of Arts, Culture and Entertainment with an administrator that would report directly to the City Manager. Do you support the creation of such a department?

Place 1 Candidate Responses:

Allen Demling (Attended Austin City Council Candidates Arts Forum): Yes. I think we need an arts focused position in the City government. The task force spent a considerable effort in researching issues related to the arts. A cabinet level position would provide a direct link between the city council and the arts community. This would allow a more focused approach to arts related issues, including funding and the various arts programs in which the city chooses to invest.

Lee Leffingwell (Attended Austin City Council Candidates Arts Forum): I would have to evaluate a cost of creating a new City Department before answering this question definitively. If the cost is in the neighborhood of $2 million dollars, as has been suggested, this could, I believe, be counterproductive to increasing arts funding at “street level.” That being said, it might be practical to give our arts administrator direct access to the City Manager, but in our system of Council-Manager form of government that would be subject to approval of the City Manager.

Jason Meeker (Attended Austin City Council Candidates Arts Forum) (has not responded yet):

Place 3 Candidate Responses:

Jennifer Kim (Attended Austin City Council Candidates Arts Forum but left after introductory remarks): I believe that the Arts are not only an integral part of our City’s economy, but they are also an integral part of our high quality of life. Yes, I would support a new Department of Arts, Culture and Entertainment reporting directly to the City Manager.

Randi Shade (Attended Austin City Council Candidates Arts Forum): This is a good idea because currently resources are spread across several City departments which creates a lack of focus, and inhibits the City from having a truly unified vision. Better coordination would result in better use of resources, and more importantly, would result in more effective planning and coordination.

Ken Weiss (Attended Austin City Council Candidates Arts Forum) (has not responded yet):

Place 4 Candidate Responses:

Robin Cravey (Attended Austin City Council Candidates Arts Forum) (has not responded yet):

Cid Galindo (Attended Austin City Council Candidates Arts Forum): Yes, see Question 1.

Laura Morrison (Attended Austin City Council Candidates Arts Forum): Yes. I believe a Department of Arts, Culture and Entertainment would better leverage public resources for the long-term sustainability of the creative cultural community in Austin. The Create Austin Task Force brought forth this recommendation and they represented a broad spectrum of perspectives and expertise. It is important that the City conduct an open deliberate process before making this change so the communities supporting cultural programs in parks and other areas are included.

Samuel Osemene (Attended Austin City Council Candidates Arts Forum) (has not responded yet):

Ken Vassau (Attended Austin City Council Candidates Arts Forum) (has not responded yet):

Question 3: How do you think Austin rates in terms of the arts? Describe the economic and cultural value of the arts, and your commitment to them relative to your other priorities.

Place 1 Candidate Responses:

Allen Demling (Attended Austin City Council Candidates Arts Forum): In my answers to the previous questions, I have shown a few ways I will support the arts community. We must make sure that artists can afford to practice their craft within the city limits. This includes a focus on health care and providing living wage to artists as well as affordable housing. We can promote the arts by expanding the use of public lands for music and fine arts- including performing arts and other creative arts. I also pledge to fight restriction of the noise ordinance by increasing the scope of the entertainment districts as well as promoting smart development.

Lee Leffingwell (Attended Austin City Council Candidates Arts Forum): As I said at the forum, the arts have a huge positive impact on Austin’s economy, and that is a very good thing. But the real reason all of us should support the arts is because of its cultural value to every citizen of Austin. Great societies, cities, and nations throughout history are measured in large part by their contribution to the arts - not by military conquest or by economic hegemony. Thank you for what you do to make Austin great.

Jason Meeker (Attended Austin City Council Candidates Arts Forum) (has not responded yet):

Place 3 Candidate Responses:

Jennifer Kim Response (Attended Austin City Council Candidates Arts Forum but left after introductory remarks): I think Austin has one of the most vibrant arts scenes of any city our size. I was a sponsor of the Item from Council adding SXSW as a City-sponsored event, since the Festival contributes so much to our local economy. I was also very active in the campaign to successfully pass Bond Proposition 4, which funded many arts groups and facilities, including the MACC, Austin Film Studios, Mexic-arte Museum, the African American heritage facility and the Asian American Resource Center, among others. I am proud of my support for the Citizens Art Gallery at City Hall, where every year the City buys a piece of art by a Central Texas artist that has been voted on by the citizens who visit the City Hall Art Gallery.

Randi Shade (Attended Austin City Council Candidates Arts Forum): The Arts industry of Austin is a key component of our community’s overall economic vitality, but also is what makes Austin Austin, more specifically what has driven Austin to be known for its creativity. We must do whatever we can to nurture this sector.

I’m proud that in this past year we witnessed the opening of the Mexican-American Cultural Center and the Long Center for the Performing Arts. These centers have an enormous economic and cultural impact on our city, and I will continue to support these and other similar facilities in the future.

I will also make it a priority to ensure we live up to the “Live Music Capital of the World” title. I’m committed to further promoting SXSW and the Austin City Limits Music Festival in every way possible. SXSW alone has brought in around $100 million in revenue to our city each of the past two years, so it’s imperative we do whatever is necessary to support the event and similar ventures.

Ultimately, we’re a community that inspires new ideas and treasures the offbeat and the weird. There is an ebb and flow here that prevents us from getting set in our ways. We don’t have the sort of rigid social structures so many other communities have. That’s why we attract so many musicians and artists. My vision for our future - the vision I will pursue whether as a member of the City Council or as a citizen activist - is that Austin continues to be a place where everyone’s creative pursuits can come to fruition, and promoting the arts is key component to seeing that goal become a reality.

Ken Weiss (Attended Austin City Council Candidates Arts Forum) (has not responded yet):

Place 4 Candidate Responses:

Robin Cravey (Attended Austin City Council Candidates Arts Forum) (has not responded yet):

Cid Galindo (Attended Austin City Council Candidates Arts Forum): Relative to the economic value that the arts bring to “the live music capital of the world”, the city does not invest enough to nurture and support the arts.  A perfect example is the shortsighted, conscious decision of the City Council to under-park the new Long Center for the Performing Arts.  As a council member, I will make the arts a high priority and be vigilant that decisions like the one mentioned above are not repeated.

Laura Morrison (Attended Austin City Council Candidates Arts Forum): I love the creativity that defines our city. While there is a tremendous level of activity in many disciplines, and the creative culture is alive and well in our children (my son is a musician), support for the arts in terms of philanthropy compared to other cities is low.

The value of the arts is broad and clear; with numerous economic studies showing significant economic impact. More than that, there is no dollar value that can be put on the inherent benefits of enriching human life. Arts will be directly affected by my commitment to increasing the focus on social / health and human services in the city budget which will impact the lives of many artists who face severe economic challenges due to the lack of affordability in our community.

Samuel Osemene (Attended Austin City Council Candidates Arts Forum) (has not responded yet):

Ken Vassau (Attended Austin City Council Candidates Arts Forum) (has not responded yet):

The Arts Alliance (music, film/video, visual, performance and literature) represents the $2.2 billion Arts’ industry in Austin, Texas and the nation. For more information on the Arts Alliance click here or e-mail Richard@SongwriterSeries.com.