James Dabakis // Salt Lake City Mayor // Grade: A+
How have the arts, culture, and/or humanities impacted your life?
Answer: I feel like my ‘real’ life is just the ‘busy time’ I spend between my encounters with the arts, culture and the humanities.
Would you like to be considered for endorsement by Utah Cultural Alliance?
Answer: Yes
Utah's humanities and arts employ 112,000 Utahns, provide $4 billion in earnings, and $16 billion in sales. This is a larger economic impact than agriculture, mining, and real estate. Do you consider the arts and cultural sector an economic driver in Utah?
Answer: Yes
Government investment in arts and humanities organizations at fiscally responsible levels.
Answer: Strongly support
Government investment in my local arts council at fiscally responsible levels.
Answer: Strongly support
Cultural Districts (gov't can designate, fund, and create incentives/zoning ordinances to attract creative businesses to a district).
Answer: Strongly support
Low rent housing and studio space for artists.
Answer: Strongly support
Facilitating partnerships between tourism and culture.
Answer: Strongly support
Facilitating partnerships between businesses and culture.
Answer: Strongly support
Reducing regulations of creative businesses.
Answer: Strongly support
Capital investment (in museums, performance/concert halls, studios, galleries, nonprofit office space, etc.).
Answer: Strongly support
Increased investment in public art projects to encourage murals, sculptures, utility wraps, and more.
Answer: Strongly support
Reduced fees (land/building use, garbage, utilities, etc) for festivals and special events.
Answer: Strongly support
Artistinresident at my city or county.
Answer: Strongly support
Fiscally responsible government investment in the arts and humanities means to me (could be the right $ amount for the local arts council and/or its grants, etc.).
Answer: How do we put a dollar price on refreshing our souls? It is PRICELESS! But, if you must have a figure--and we must--I would say the levels are so low now, that my first proposed budget as Mayor would be three times the current levels in the budget. We need to find an automatic funder--a certain percent of city sales tax revenues that come from the arts, culture and the humanities. That system works well with the state tourism funding.
7 counties and 33 cities have passed a RAP (recreation, arts, parks) tax. They are:
Counties: Cache (RAPZ); Duchesne (RAP); Salt Lake (ZAP); Summit (RAP); Uintah (RAP); Washington (RAP); Weber (RAMP)
Cities (all are RAPs unless otherwise designated): American Fork, Aurora, Blanding, Bountiful, Brian Head, Cedar City, Cedar Hills, Centerfield, Centerville, Clearfield, Fairview, Farmington, Green River, Gunnison, Helper, Layton, Lindon, Mayfield, Monticello, North Salt Lake, Orem (CARE), Payson, Price, Provo, Redmond, Richfield, Roosevelt, Salina, Syracuse, Spanish Fork, Tooele City (PAR), West Bountiful, Woods Cross.
I am: Running for office in one of these cities or counties
I support the RAP tax.
Answer: Strongly support
I make sure that the arts and humanities receive at least a 1/3 of RAP revenues.
Answer: Strongly support
I will support putting a RAP tax on the ballot to be decided by voters.
Answer: Strongly support
I will make sure that the arts and humanities receive at least a 1/3 of RAP revenues.
Answer: Strongly support
Optional: explain your answers.
Answer: N/A
Percent for public art programs, which optionally designate 1-2% of government capital costs for public art.
Answer: Strongly support
I support increasing my percent for art ordinance by .25-.5% to cover maintenance (vandalism, weather, etc.).
Answer: Strongly support
(if applicable) My municipality's redevelopment authority should have a public art ordinance.
Answer: Strongly support
Incentives (such as tax breaks) to encourage private developers add public art to projects.
Answer: Strongly support
Design standards.
Answer: Strongly support
Friendly ordinances that encourage public and private mural creation.
Answer: Strongly support
Increased investment in public art projects to encourage murals, sculptures, utility wraps, and more.
Answer: Strongly support
I believe percent for art ordinances should apply to:-Public buildings.
Answer: Yes
I believe percent for art ordinances should apply to:-Transportation.
Answer: Yes
I believe percent for art ordinances should apply to:-Utilities.
Answer: Yes
I believe percent for art ordinances should apply to:-Private developments.
Answer: Yes
I believe percent for art ordinances should apply to:-All government capital projects.
Answer: Yes
Anything else you'd like us to know about you?
Answer: Sometimes, I feel like the only time I am really alive is when I am immersed and transfixed in the art.
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