The Detroit Institute of Arts has two years until the current levy expires | dia.org
The Detroit Institute of Arts has two years until the current levy expires | dia.org
Tomorrow, voters in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties will vote on millage renewal for The Detroit Institute of Arts. The renewal being sought is around 0.2 mills.
The March 10 vote has big ramifications for the institute - around 65% of its operating budget comes from the millage.
Voters approved the millage renewal in 2012 with the idea to shore up the museum. The museum was financially strapped at that time and the millage renewal was promised to be a one-time levy spread over 10 years.
However, then came the Grand Bargain two years later. The Grand Bargain helped save the museum's artwork that was to be sold in an auction during Detroit's bankruptcy.
Now, the Detroit Institute of Arts is asking voters to renew the millage for another 10 years. This institute has two years until the current levy is set to expire.
Cheryl Salinas-Tucker of Ferndale told the Detroit Free Press said that 10 years ago, the museum rarely had a full tour. Now, the museum is always packed.
"I see the benefit of going. Ten years ago, that museum was not crowded and now, it's packed," Salinas-Tucker told the newspaper. "It shouldn't just be for a few people who could get in."
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