The City of Pittsburgh and County of Allegheny made
very similar arrangements in 1994. During a lame-duck
session of the Pennsylvania General Assembly in
November of 1993, permission was granted for Counties
of the Second Class to create a "Regional Asset
District," which would be funded by one-half of a new
one per cent sales and use tax levied in that county.

The Allegheny County Commissioners approved the sales
tax, and the formation of the Allegheny Regional Asset
District, in 1994. The one per cent sales tax went
into effect in July of 1994, however "regional assets"
did not begin to receive funding until calendar year
1995. This gave the "RAD" a six-month reserve fund for
lean times. And, those lean times came at the
beginning of the new millennium, and this reserve has
been reduced to about $12-15 million.

The Allegheny Regional Asset District is responsible
for funding "regional assets" including libraries,
parks [libraries and parks receive more than half of
the funding, with libraries receiving the most],
museums, sports venues, and other cultural
organizations. The one per cent sales tax brings-in
about $150 million, with half of that fignure
earmarked for distribution by RAD.

The other half was designated, by the legislation, to
be returned to the City, County, and the other 129
municipalities as reimbursement for the reduction in
property taxes, cutting in half of the City's 10 per
cent Amusement Tax, and the elimination of the
County's Personal Property Tax. It is likely that,
even in a lame-duck session, the legislation would
have never passed without this tax reduction.

RAD has been controversial from the very beginning. In
fact, it is my belief that the 50 per cent portion of
the tax revenues going back to the municipalities,
city, and county are the only reason the "RAD tax" has
not been repealed. Of course, if the RAD tax was
repealed, this would allow the return of the higher
property taxes, the 10 per cent Amusement Tax, and the
Personal Property Tax.

You can look at the web site of the Allegheny Regional
Asset District at this link:

< http://radworkshere.org >

gaw

--- Dan Prives <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Date: Tue, 23 May 2006 09:25:35 -0400 
From: "Dan Prives" <[log in to unmask]> 
Subject: [MUSEUM-L] Chicago Museums & operating ratios

To: [log in to unmask]

> I have a posting today about the major Chicago
> museums and the large
> amounts that they report for compensation of "key
> employees, officers,
> and directors" on their Form 990 reports.
> 
> Feedback is welcome, either to me by email or in the
> blog comments.
> 
> Chicago Musuems Look Topheavy
> In seeking new tax support, the Chicago musuems
> might consider
> streamlining their management structures.
>
http://www.wheremostneeded.org/2006/05/chicago_musuems.html
> 
> Regards,
> Dan Prives
> "Where Most Needed"
> Blogging about charities daily at:
> http://www.wheremostneeded.org

gaw

Glenn A. Walsh
Electronic Mail - < [log in to unmask] >
NEWS - Astronomy, Space, Science:
< http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/#news >
Author of History Web Sites on the Internet --
* Buhl Planetarium, Pittsburgh: 
  < http://www.planetarium.cc > 
* Adler Planetarium, Chicago: 
  < http://adlerplanetarium.tripod.com >
* Astronomer & Optician John A. Brashear: 
  < http://johnbrashear.tripod.com > 
* Andrew Carnegie & Carnegie Libraries: 
  < http://www.andrewcarnegie.cc > 
* Duquesne Incline cable-car railway, Pittsburgh: 
  < http://www.incline.cc >

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