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

  • Candidate Name: Dana Williams
  • Your Municipality: Park City
  • Elected office for which you are running: Mayor

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.
Arts-As a singer-songwriter who has played in a band for the past twenty five years I have been honored to participate with dozens of other people whose dedication to their craft has helped create an essential part of the Park City experience. Culture- As someone whose first cause was the civil rights movement, I have been a vocal supporter of the rights of all. The Park City community is close to 30% Latino. One of my platforms in this campaign is the responsibility of this community to take a larger stand in support of a humane immigration policy, with immediate amnesty for the hundreds of kids here who had no choice in the matter. Humanities- After fifty five years of being around Park City, from the end of mining to our world class resort economy, I find that I champion the human experience that has made us who we are. The preservation of our history, I think, will always be considered as we plan our future.

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.
etc

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.
We passed that !!

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.
In 2002 80% of our sales tax revenue came in 100 days in winter. As part of our economic sustainability program we decided to include major arts and cultural events during the summer. Concerts, both touring and local, Sunday Silly Market, letting restaurants expand into Main Street. This has moved the dial to around 60% winter and 40% summer.

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.
Administered through Summit County, working well!

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. 
I think the Sundance Film Festival is our shining example of this

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 must admit I do not know much about these. I think our whole town might be one!