Fayette needs its own arts council

We frequently brag about the quality of life in Fayette County. Most residents live here because of good schools, the low crime rate, excellent youth sports programs, reasonable taxes and well-managed local governments. There are other factors that influence quality of life, and the presence of excellent programs in the performing and visual arts is of paramount importance.

The availability of opportunities in the arts can be a useful tool for recruiting desirable business and industry to support our tax base. The primary reasons companies relocate or consider opening businesses in a specific area are the availability of an adequate work force, financial incentives, low taxes, and the existence of a business friendly environment.

If the community stacks up well against the competition on these business issues, corporate decision-makers evaluate secondary factors such as the quality of schools, recreation programs and commitment to the fine arts.

Fayette County is lacking in commitment to the arts because it has no governmental coordinating body such as an arts council or commission to set priorities and facilitate communication. Fayette County commissioners have been asleep at the switch on this issue for two decades.

Outsiders sometimes have more impact on the cultural arts in Fayette County than our own political leaders. An example is the sorry practice on the part of the state that permits the arts council in Clayton County to set our priorities and determine which organizations in Fayette and some neighboring counties receive taxpayer-funded grants from the Georgia Council for the Arts.

Yes, we pay state taxes and “Arts Clayton” is the re-granting agency that dictates which organizations in Fayette County receive our share of state funds with virtually no accountability or oversight.

Clayton awarded meager grants to the now-defunct Fayette Art Center and Gallery, Fayette County Society for Fine Arts, Fayette Family YMCA, Friends of Fayetteville Public Library, and the Peachtree City Ballet in 2007. These were low-dollar grants, and larger grants went to organizations in Clayton County.

Fayette County has an astonishing number of public and private sector classes, performing groups, facilities, projects and opportunities for citizens of all ages in the visual and performing arts.

The Endowment Committee for the Cultural Arts holds a major fund-raiser each February to benefit the arts. The money from the event provides considerable support for individuals and organizations promoting the cultural arts. There is strong interest in the arts among Fayette citizens but there is a need for one single coordinating body.

Fayette County also has some excellent performance venues. Examples include the F.A. Sams Auditorium, The Legacy Theatre in Tyrone, amphitheaters in Fayetteville and Peachtree City, and traditional school auditoriums and church facilities.

These are wonderful facilities, but they can’t take the place of a much-needed county-funded cultural arts center similar to the one in Coweta County. Fayette is the only county in the metro area without such a facility, and that can change with the help of the elected Fayette County Board of Commissioners.

The Board of Commissioners should establish a permanent arts council or commission charged with bringing representatives of supporting groups to the table and developing a long-range plan for the cultural arts in Fayette County.

Such a plan would no doubt include a central facility for the performing and visual arts. There are several funding mechanisms available for such a facility. Funds can be raised by a SPLOST, a traditional program of bonds or a multitude of hybrid funding options. The project could be a partnership with the private sector or with a non-profit group.

The YMCA, for example, has a long history of successful partnerships with communities throughout the nation. I am told the YMCA plans a cultural arts center as part of the building program on the Huiet Road site. A YMCA partnership with county government is worth exploring.

We have a state of the art (no pun intended) justice center and jail that is the envy of most communities. Should Fayette County prisoners be treated better than Fayette County arts patrons? Past County Commissions have said the answer is a resounding “yes.”

This can be changed with the establishment of a Fayette County Council or Commission for the Arts and continued support from the Fayette County Board of Commissioners.

My random and unrelated thoughts for the month:
• The study done by the Georgia Transit Planning Board finding that 50 percent of those in Fayette County will support a one-cent sales tax to support mass transit in Fayette County is a sham. Their results are totally contrary to the word on the street. The numbers in this survey are either rigged or the questions were biased.
• Former Peachtree City Mayor Steve Brown wrote a strong rebuttal to my column advocating the new licensing program for home builders. His opposition helps me know that we are on the right track.
• Something is out of balance when individuals can pack firearms and ride MARTA or go into restaurants but can’t board an airplane with a tiny pocket knife.
• The Fayette County Board of Education is considering a 2008-2009 budget that calls for a property tax increase of at least one mill. This reflects an approximate 6 percent increase in the school property tax millage rate, which is excessive during an economic downturn. The public sector needs to share the pain.
[Scott Bradshaw is a real estate developer, resident of Peachtree City and active in the community. He is chairman of the Governmental Affairs Committee of the Homebuilders Association of Midwest Georgia, a member of the West Village Impact Fee Advisory Committee, and a former member of the Development Authority of Peachtree City. His email is rand5474@bellsouth.net.]