In a strangely worded resolution, the Cuyahoga County Commissioners approved a .7-mill levy which would raise $20.8 million per year for 5 years, costing homeowners only $22 per year for a $100,000 home. At their meeting, the commissioners were effusive in their support of arts & culture in Cleveland, "We have neglected public funding of the arts... it's long overdue," said Commissioner Jimmy Dimora.

The only problem: the resolution never once mentions the words "art" or "culture" (reportedly, state law doesn't allow such specificity), so in reality the money could go just about anywhere. "We'd like to have an agreement in place by January 2 on the distribution of funds," Commissioner Tim Mc Cormack? told Cool Cleveland in an exclusive interview.

The clock is ticking towards a March 2 ballot.

The commissioner-led Cuyahoga County Cultural Leadership Task Force has met every other week for months putting guidelines in place for arts funding. Why woudn't the commissioners specify that the funds follow the Task Force's recommendations, which include guidelines for the distribution of dollars, plus a recommendation that $14 million per year is required to stabilize the Cleveland cultural community. That figure was determined through research, an analysis of best practices, and a review of dozens of communities nationwide vis-a-vis their arts funding conducted by the Community Partnership for Arts and Culture.

"No one will back down on the arts getting 50% of the money from this levy," Commissioner Peter Lawson Jones told Cool Cleveland in an exclusive interview. If that happens, the levy would raise about $10.4 million for arts & culture each year in Cuyahoga County, not quite the $14 million needed, but certainly a step in the right direction.

Now it's your turn: Ask the Commissioners to do the right thing and specify how much of this levy goes to the arts (and do it quickly): Jimmy Dimora: 443-7180 cnjcd@www.cuyahoga.oh.us. Peter Lawson Jones: 443-7182 cnplj@www.cuyahoga.oh.us. Tim Mc Cormack?: 443-7181 cntmc@www.cuyahoga.oh.us. Don't forget: cc: Cool Cleveland and we'll print the most articulate responses next week.

See Carolyn Jack's PD article here.

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