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

  • Candidate Name: Sharla Beverly
  • Your Municipality: South Salt Lake
  • Elected office for which you are running: City Council District 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.
I have played the violin and piano since the age of 5, minoring in music while attending Utah State University. I've used the arts to enrich my students' lives as a public school teacher for the past 20 years partnering for many years with Utah Festival Opera.

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.
Yes as long as they are non-profit groups that are enriching the lives of my residents.

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.
I am currently on the SSL city council and have never heard of this program. I would love more information. As an educator, I've seen a decreased focus on the arts. This is a disturbing trend and I'm willing to look at any funding sources to reverse this trend.

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

5b // Optional, explain why or why not.

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

6b // Optional, explain why or why not.

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.

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 have partnered with the SSL Arts Alliance/Utah Arts Alliance and are currently exploring other partnerships.

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 would like to see a music venue in our Commonwealth District.