Tax dollars need to be spent wisely on art

(Photo credit: Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune)

Recently the Salt Lake Tribune did a story about the county council discussing funding for art in new county buildings. Our current county ordinance says that up to 1 percent of a building budget may be allocated for art.

I struggled with this when we were discussing an open space bond. If we are asking residents to pay for open space, parks, trails, and recreation through a general obligation bond, I want to make sure those dollars stretch as far as possible for those particular uses.

I believe there is community value in having nice buildings and public art. Art and culture in a community enhance education, improve quality of life, and attract businesses who are looking for a great place to locate employees and grow.

But should there be a 1 percent art allocation for every county building? I don't believe so.

Right now this ordinance is interpreted as a hard and fast rule and the full 1 percent is spent, even in non-public buildings. (The Salt Lake County Fleet Building is a prime example.) When future county buildings are built, we need to use a common sense approach and allocate art funding based on public use.

I support having art in our libraries, senior centers, and other places where it benefits the public. We want to have nice buildings that enhance a community. Even in those instances, 1 percent may be too much, depending on the project. I believe we need to take it on a case-by-case basis.