RAMPing up for the theater
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s usual, private enterprise is beating government to the punch.
Clearfield residents can look forward to a 500-seat performing arts center as part of the $150 million Midtown Village development. It will enjoy easy freeway access, is to be underwitten by the city and is slated to be complete by 2009.
Meanwhile, officials in Centerville and Layton are considering whether or not to ask their residents if they'd like to approve a recreation, arts, museum and parks (RAMP) tax to fund new performing arts centers in their respective cities. Never mind that in 2004, voters throughout Davis County rejected a recreation, arts and parks (RAP) tax proposal.
Do the arts benefit communities? Of course. Are communities with live-theater productions a good thing, generally speaking? No doubt, in our view.
But we start to feel a few butterflies in our bellies when it comes to descriptions of "public-private partnerships" involving the arts.
Take, for example, Clearfield's Midtown Village: The city plans to bond for millions of dollars to fund construction of the theater, and this is a risk. It may work out to the city's advantage -- let's hope it does -- but there's always a chance that whatever plays, musicals and concerts are staged there won't turn a profit and all Clearfield taxpayers will be on the hook to make up the difference. If Clearfield residents are OK with that, fine.
Likewise in Centerville. There exists now a successful private venture, the Rodgers Memorial Theatre, that presents about eight productions each year. Lots of people attend. But the city -- and possibly surrounding communities -- may ask voters to approve a RAMP tax to help pay for a new theater building, and the Rodgers Memorial Theatre would become a public-private partnership. Again, do the local taxpayers want this to happen? Or is the status quo sufficient?
Now, travel northward to Layton, where the Davis Arts Council books concerts and musicals into the Ed Kenley Amphitheater, a 2,200-seat outdoor venue. The DAC, with the support of some elected leaders, would like to have a year-round facility. To pay for it, they're talking about placing a RAMP tax on an upcoming ballot.
As with Centerville, the voters would decide. But we have trouble believing there wouldn't be duplication of musicals, plays and concerts, and conflicts involving performance dates.
Furthermore, couldn't the DAC satisfy its desire for an all-season venue by adding to the facilities at the amphitheater site, where ample parking already exists?
To all three of these would-be public-private partnerships, we would recommend one thing: City leaders in Clearfield, Layton and Centerville should check with the trio of government entities that co-own Ogden's Peery's Egyptian Theater in Ogden. Weber State University, Ogden and Weber County are responsible for the operating budget of their theater and attached conference center; they love the facility, but they also pay handsome subsidies each and every year to keep the doors open.
Optimism is a good thing. But so is the sober and responsible handling of taxpayer dollars.
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