Cuyahoga Arts & Culture is thinking like it’s 2035. The agency’s board on Tuesday discussed its grantmaking process for the next decade. The move follows the passage of an increase in the county’s cigarette tax, which funds CAC, from 30 cents per pack to 70 cents. CAC Executive Director Jill Paulsen said that more than doubling the tax still brings uncertainty.
“What I do hope comes out of this is that we are taking this new opportunity very seriously,” she said. “We're building on people's feedback from the last 17 years … we know that so many people, and especially the organizations we work with, need stability, reliability and one less thing to worry about.”
Paulsen said forecasting how to provide those dollars is still "a tricky situation" given that revenues have been declining since the tax was first approved in 2006. In 2024, revenues dropped 11.8% compared to 2023.
During Tuesday’s meeting, board members noted that revenue could be impacted by issues ranging from a weak economy to declining county population and a proposed state cigarette tax increase.
“We don’t want people pounding on the doors in five years saying, ‘Where is all the money you promised us?’” said CAC Board President Karolyn Isenhart.
While revenues will increase this year due to the tax increase, it is expected that 2025 will be a peak with revenues declining over time as they have historically.
Ideastream Public Media is a recipient of CAC funding and contributed to the campaign to increase the tax.
Assembly for the Arts, the agency administering funds for individual artists, is working on a year-long study to expand or diversify CAC funding in the future. Previously, taxes on vape products, marijuana and even video rentals were considered, but none came to fruition.
CAC’s board is slated to finalize its grantmaking policies at its April 16 meeting, with budgetary decisions coming over the summer. The final lists of operating and project grants are scheduled for late fall.
