Letters to the Editor
Letter to the Editor | City doesn’t have a revenue problem, it has a responsibility problem
Gig Harbor doesn’t need to be told it cares about the arts. You see it every time you walk downtown. From galleries and concerts to community events, our city already celebrates creativity and culture because it’s part of who we are, not because we’re told to by the City.
This proposal isn’t about whether we support the arts. It’s about whether we believe the City of Gig Harbor can responsibly manage the tax dollars it already collects. Based on the City’s track record, that answer is no.
The proposed cultural arts tax would create another layer of bureaucracy, a new fund controlled not by elected officials but by a group of appointed individuals. These unelected decision-makers would decide who receives public money based on their own interpretation of “arts and culture,” with no clear accountability to the community. There is no assurance their choices would reflect the broader values and priorities of Gig Harbor residents.
Before voters approve any new tax, the City should first demonstrate that it can manage the funds it already has. Instead, we have seen projects drag on for years, budgets balloon, and priorities shift without results. Major capital projects have remained “in planning stages” for a decade or more. That is not a lack of money, that is a lack of management.
We have all heard the groans around town that the choices for City leadership in this election are not inspiring. The most glaring issue is the complete lack of leadership within the City itself. Gig Harbor has seen high turnover in both the council and mayor’s office, leaving more appointed than elected officials making major decisions. That is not stability, it is dysfunction. Why would we reward that with more taxpayer dollars?
The City doesn’t have a revenue problem. It has a responsibility problem.
Supporters of this measure want you to believe voting no means you don’t support the arts. That is simply not true. Gig Harbor’s creative community has always thrived because of its people: residents, businesses, and nonprofits. We already show our commitment through charitable giving, volunteerism, and civic pride, not through another tax.
There is an old saying: don’t throw good money after bad. Until the City can demonstrate fiscal accountability and strong leadership, it doesn’t deserve more of our hard-earned money.This isn’t an anti-arts vote. It’s a pro-accountability vote.
Vote no on Gig Harbor’s Cultural Arts Tax.
Amanda Babich
Gig Harbor