Utah Cultural Advocacy Alliance Grade: A+ (100%)

  • Candidate Name: Doug Stephens
  • Your Municipality: Ogden
  • Elected office for which you are running: Ogden city council Municipal Ward #3

Question 1: Should government be involved in funding the arts and humanities?
Yes

Question 2: Have you had a personal experience with arts, culture, or humanities that have had an impact on your life?
Yes

3b // Optional, explain your experience.
In the Ogden city budget we found the arts each year. We also have an Arts Council that over see the arts programs for the city. The Arts are very important to me and the city.

Question 3: Do you support public funding for city and county arts councils who then re-grant that money to local arts and humanities organizations?
Yes

3b // Optional, explain why or why not.
The Art's assist with quality of life in Ogden. It increases the standards that the city has. Arts are necessary for
our development and growth. Ogden needs the Arts.

Question 4: Do you support Percent for Art programs, which designate 1% of public building costs for public art that are included within that building? Currently, only 8 Utah municipalities have such a program.
Yes

4b // Optional, explain why or why not.
This is how we fund the Arts in Ogden.

Question 5: Do you support having a Percent-for-Art program in your own municipality?
Yes

5b // Optional, explain why or why not.
I support to have the Arts funded as a percent-for-Arts. This is how we fund the program in Ogden.

Question 6: Do you consider the arts and cultural sector an economic driver in Utah?
Yes

6b // Optional, explain why or why not.
Very much so. The Arts adds culture and standards for our city.It is a benefit to our citizens.

Question 7: 32 municipalities have a RAP (recreation, arts, and parks) type tax to help support cultural organizations in their communities. Would you support a RAP type tax such as this in your own municipality? If your municipality already has such a local option sales RAP-type sales tax and you support it, answer yes.
Yes

7b // Optional, explain your experience.
We fund some of our Arts RAMP taxes. This is a great source of funding for the arts.

Question 8: Municipalities can facilitate partnerships between cultural organizations and the local tourism sector to boost the local economy. Do you support this? Optional, explain why or why not. 
Yes

8b // Optional, explain why or why not. 
We do partner our local cultural with tourism to increase interest about our city to those visiting Ogden.

Question 9: Municipal governments can create Cultural Districts - with or without tax incentives. Governments sometimes fund these via bed or tourism taxes within the Cultural District boundaries, but it can be done within municipal budgets fairly cheaply. Is this something you would support?
Yes

9b // Optional, explain why or why not. 
I support that program.