PORTLAND, Ore. — Every year in early spring, KGW gets a barrage of emails from viewers asking what the point of Portland's annual $35 Arts Tax is, and where that money goes.
The Arts Tax was a ballot measure approved by voters in the November 2012 election and is meant to provide funding to arts education and grants to nonprofits.
Most of the money is split among 6 school districts and charter schools in Portland. The majority of the money always goes to Portland Public Schools as it's the biggest school district in our city.
The funds collected in tax year 2019 totaled $9,915,000. In comparison to previous years, the city collected about $1.5 million less, which, at least partially, can be contributed to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Of those 2019 funds, a little more than $7M went to schools. Here's how those funds break down by school districts:
- Centennial School District: $610,000
- David Douglass School District: $904,000
- Parkrose School District: $271,000
- Portland Public Schools: $4,831,000
- Reynolds School District: $358,000
- Riverdale Schools: $43,000
If you're interested in exploring those numbers more, the city provides a line-by-line breakdown of the Arts Tax disbursement since 2013.
Most often, schools are using these funds to pay the salaries of dance, music, theater and visual arts teachers.
According to a report from the city's independent committee tasked with overseeing the Arts Tax, Portland Public Schools reported they were able to employ 114 arts teachers during the 2018-2019 school year, as compared to just 31 before the Arts Tax went into effect.
Another portion, about $200,000 of those Arts Tax funds from 2019 so far went to the Regional Arts and Culture Council (RACC). They're likely to get more in the next few months as more 2019 arts tax payments deferred from last year flow in.
Starting with tax year 2019, the RACC has pivoted funds and grants toward underrepresented communities and smaller, diverse non-profits and away from larger organizations like the Portland Art Museum or The Portland Ballet.
Now, the $35 payment for the Arts Tax is due on April 15, 2021. Last year, it was delayed by several months, in congruence with state and federal tax deadlines being delayed. This year, those deadlines have not been extended.
However, the city tells KGW they will "exercise leniency" for Portlanders who file for waiver requests online. The circumstances "beyond a taxpayer's control" that cause the failure or delay of an Arts Tax payment include:
- Death or serious illness of the tax filer or a member of the tax filer's immediate family
- Destruction by fire, a natural disaster, or other casualty of the tax filer's home, place of business, or records needed to prepare the returns.
- You were at least 70 years old or permanently disabled by Dec. 31, 2020
- If you meet low-income requirements set by the federal government
- If your annual income is less than $1,000