There have been a couple of questionable polls asking residents if they support a new performing arts hall. These not-so-scientific polls have been criticized as unreliable. But there’s one way to find out what Sarasota voters think of a new performing arts hall: a referendum. If you want to know what voters think, ask them. For real. Put it on a ballot.
In the effort to secure a commitment to fund a new performing arts hall, the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation shared the results of a survey conducted in the summer of 2024. That survey showed 71% of the 900 County residents who responded support a new performing arts hall. Critics were quick to point out problems with the poll. Only 20% of the respondents had heard about the project prior to the poll. Importantly, the poll did not reveal the cost: over $400 million total for the hall, half funded by public money. The poll also didn’t reveal that the public would have to fund a parking solution. The new hall location is proposed to be at the new Bay park, which will convert the Van Wezel’s surface parking lot to green space. That publicly funded parking solution could be $50-100 million - again, information not shared with survey respondents. Given the lack of financial context, the claim that 71% of County residents support a new performing arts hall is shaky.
Plans for a new performing arts hall are beautiful. Can we afford it? What other public infrastructure or services may not be funded if tax dollars go to bond payments for a $400 million arts hall?
More recently, the Sarasota Herald Tribune had a simple poll on its website prior to the City Commission’s March 17th meeting to discuss the Implementation Agreement with the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation. That poll was found to be infiltrated by bots. Supporters of the new hall claimed the bots were skewing the results against the hall, critics claimed the bots were skewing the results in favor of the hall. In any case, the Herald Tribune removed the poll and let readers know that bots were indeed messing with their poll. Even if it were unblemished by bots, such a casual poll cannot be considered a reliable measure of public sentiment.
What is a reliable measure of public sentiment? A referendum. Ask the voters -the actual taxpayers - what they want to do.
And remember, the idea for a new performing arts hall began in 2014. Its been over a decade. There has been plenty of time to ask the voters.
The Sarasota County Charter has an amendment which requires a public referendum for bonds above a certain limit. The cap began at $17 million in 2003, and is recalculated each year to account for inflation (the Consumer Price Index). In today’s dollars, Sarasota County bond issues for a single project are limited to $29,350,000. If a project’s costs are higher, the bond issue must be approved by voters.
The City of Sarasota does not have the same bonding limit. There is a loophole in the City for bonds funded by revenue (aka revenue bonds). When I served on the City’s 2021 Charter Review Committee, I proposed a bonding amendment identical to the County’s - one that would require a referendum on a bond issue above a certain limit. One that would close the revenue bond loophole. I suggested the same limit as the County, which would be $29,350,000 today. My suggestion was shot down quickly by the City Manager Marlon Brown. That was odd, because when I met with him and ran it by him ahead of time, he was fine with it. Mr. Brown offered some pretty cockamamie reasons against it (it will tie our hands!). I say cockamamie because this bonding limit has worked just fine in the County for decades.
Why would the former City Manager oppose asking the voters? It’s a reasonable question.
So, for all the talk about surveys and a new performing arts hall, when it comes to public opinion, let’s stop with the meaningless surveys. There’s only one survey that counts: ask the voters. If you want to know if the public supports the project, put this $200 million plus bond issue on the ballot. If proponents for the new hall aren’t willing to do that, maybe it’s because they’re not all that confident it will pass. ,
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