According to reports, Mayor Kasim Reed introduced a new tax that will help support Atlanta art community.
During the State of the City address on February 2nd, Reed pointed out the fact that the town has become the third-largest TV and film industry in the United States and the fifth largest in the world. Additionally, the Woodruff Arts Center has received over $10 million past their goal.
But, to support Georgia's growing film industry, the mayor revealed a new one-tenth of a penny sales tax to be a “permanent and dedicated source of funding for the arts community in the city of Atlanta.” He is encouraging Atlanta residents to vote for the tax in November because “organizations like the Woodruff Arts Center are thriving, but our small- and medium-size groups often struggle. Our young and emerging artists need support.” The tax is a way to “give back to the creative community that gives so much to our city day in and day out.”
The Atlanta Business Journal reports Reed will base the new legislation on a similar one-tenth of a penny arts tax in Denver that supports the art community. However, as Creative Loafing pointed out, a majority of those funds from the Denver tax went to only five culture centers ran by white men.
Also, Georgia's film industry thrives off of a TV and movie tax credit. In fact, Georgia film tax incentives of up to 30 percent of money spent on production and post-production in Georgia.
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