Did you know that we have a special hotel tax in San Francisco that was created to fund our city’s art programs and has a long history of funding low-income housing? It’s a wonderful way of taking some of the massive profits from our tourism industry and reinvesting it into our city’s creative beauty, as well as helping our city’s low-moderate income families.

Unfortunately over the years politicians have quietly amended and repealed this funding, so while the Hotel Tax grew, arts funding remained stagnant. In a time when working artists are being priced out of the city, and evictions are at record highs, it has never been more important to make sure that we fund and support our arts programs as well as help families in San Francisco. Now there is a ballot measure this November to take back this essential funding for the arts and also allocates funding towards family homelessness, arguably our most vulnerable citizens.

Do you like having access to world class art on a daily basis? Then help defend it, sign the measure.                            Photo via sfexaminer

 Allocation of Hotel Tax Funds Initiative
Read full Ordinance Here

This Ballot measure DOES NOT RAISE TAXES, the Hotel Tax Allocation Fund ordinance reallocates revenue from the Hotel Tax Fund and allocates money towards the Ending Family Homelessness Fund, Grants for the Arts, San Francisco Arts Commission, Convention Facilities, War Memorial, Neighborhood Arts Program Fund, and Cultural Equality Endowment Fund. $17 million will go to family homelessness services and $80.8 million to arts and culture programs.

Do you like having world class artists performing in SF every night? Good, find time to sign the petition.

Hotel Tax revenues increase significantly almost every year, from $170 million in 2005 to almost $440
million in 2017. This measure only dedicates approximately 20% of Hotel Tax revenues to specific
allocations, leaving 80% of the revenue to the general fund.  Our greatest artistic institutions are in favor of this measure and if you care about keeping San Francisco creative, culturally significant, as well as a great attraction for those tourist dollars, you should sign the petition and get it on the ballot for November.  They need your signature BEFORE JULY 11th.

Locations in SF to Sign Ballot Measure:

Joen Maddonna of ArtSpan, a nonprofit that builds and supports the Bay Area artist community had this to say, “San Francisco is known worldwide for it’s creative culture. It is this very reputation that brings the millions of tourists here each year. The founding principle of allocating part of the hotel tax was to help support what drives this global fascination with our beautiful and artful city. This measure rightfully redirects funding back into what this city is known for: it’s unique creative spirit. As the director of ArtSpan, I urge the citizens of San Francisco to support this measure to help our cultural institutions reclaim this funding, which will in turn support arts and artists city wide in this especially challenging time for our creative class.”.

Stand with some of our city’ most treasured institutions, and get the Hotel Tax Fund Initiative on the ballot this November:

Theatre Bay Area
SF Opera
SF Symphony
SF Ballet
ArtSpan
Museum of the African Diaspora
SF Jazz
API Cultural Center
Chinese Cultural Foundation of SF
SoMa Pilipinas, Filipino Cultural Heritage
District
Center for New Music
American Conservatory Theatre
San Francisco Film Society
Queer Cultural Center
Contemporary Jewish Museum
SF MoMA
SOMArts Cultural Center
Root Division
Alonzo King Lines Ballet
AIDS Legal Referral Panel
Coalition on Homelessness
Compass Family Services
Dolores Street Community Services
Hamilton Family Center
Homeless Prenatal Program
Providence Foundation
SRO Families United
South of Market Community Action Network
Corporation

Keep artists in SF making our city a better, more interesting, more culturally relevant place

Rally for the arts

Monday, July 11 at 12 PM – 12:30 PM
San Francisco City Hall
1 Dr Carlton B Goodlett Pl, San Francisco, California 9410

“Meet us on the front steps of City Hall as we gather artists, arts leaders, homelessness advocates, families, cutural groups, and San Franciscans in support of restored allocations from the Hotel Tax Fund!

Time to turn in those signatures and get the San Francisco Arts and Families Funding Ordinance on the ballot for this November!

LETS MAKE SOME NOISE SAN FRANCISCO”

Invite here