Will the Grinches steal Edgewood’s music festival?
Note: Portions of this article were submitted as a letter to the editor of The Independent, who has indicated it will appear in the May 14, 2008 edition. Thanks, Independent!
by John Weckerle
There appears to be an effort underway on the part of some Edgewood politicians to cut the funding for the Town’s annual celebration and the Wildlife West annual summer music festival. With less than three months before the event is scheduled to occur, this will place a severe hardship upon Wildlife West. The rationalizations provided for this puzzling behavior simply do not appear to hold water.
In this May 8, 2008 letter to the editor of the Mountain View Telegraph, Town Councilor Glenn Felton’s response to letters regarding the Wildlife West Nature Park’s events raises concerns regarding funding and the provision of complimentary tickets to vendors, volunteers and sponsors. Many of Mr. Felton’s criticisms, and those of other opponents of the Park, are inappropriate and potentially misleading.
Mr. Felton states that “$30,000 is a lot of money, especially as Edgewood struggles to fully staff and equip a police department and pave roads, with gross receipts revenue still an open question.” $30,000 is a lot of money, but it is not the amount of the Town’s contribution to the music festival, which is actually $20,000 (according to Mr. Alink, somewhat less than 50% of the cost of the festival). Mr. Felton’s reference to the police department makes little sense; the police department is funded by a portion of the gross receipts tax that was passed specifically for that purpose. Neither has the sewer been funded through the Town’s discretionary funds.
With respect to the “open question” of future tax revenue, it should be obvious that this is always an open question – and one that seems to come up every time funding is requested for expenditures against which some may have a bias. It would be refreshing to see an end to the practice of raising roads, sewers, and the absence of a reliable crystal ball as rationalizations to oppose other proposals; it is disingenuous and distracts attention from real issues. In this case, however, this open question appears irrelevant. The rationalization for putting the event’s funding – and other programs that are reputedly at risk – on the block appears fallacious. The Town has been providing funding to Run, Rally and Rock and the associated music festival for years without the additional revenue from Wal-Mart, and there appears to be no expectation of a decrease in gross receipts even without that additional revenue stream.
Mr. Felton’s choice of words with respect to “discovering” that complimentary tickets suggests that Wildlife West had something to hide. I was in attendance at the meeting at which Mr. Alink directly reported this information to the Town Council, and explained the purpose of complimentary tickets. Mr. Felton continues to raise this issue despite that explanation. Perhaps a more detailed discussion of this practice will put the matter to rest.
I have reviewed information provided on the web by a number of organizations and facilities that hold music events and provide complimentary tickets. Examples include Autumn Fest (Laredo, TX), the Podunk Bluegrass Music Festival (Hartford, CT), The Virginia Arts Festival, World Music Fest, the Santa Clara Symphony, the Sacramento Zoo, the Stockton Symphony Association, the North Georgia Folk Festival, and the Albuquerque Biopark. I have also been directly in touch with the Stephen Foster Folk Cultural Center, the Friends of Florida Folk, a performer in Michigan who recently hosted a concert, and a co-director of the Florida Old Time Music Championship. All of these organizations, and many more, provide complimentary tickets to vendors, participants of all types, and musicians’ family members. Many of them also provide complimentary tickets to sponsors of the organization or facility in addition to event sponsors (the Albuquerque Biopark also provides tickets at half price to its members). Many also provide complimentary tickets to TV and radio stations, newspapers, and other recipients as a means of promoting the events, and some provide free tickets to military. Based on the information I reviewed, not only is this a common practice, but it is one that may actually be underutilized by Wildlife West; it is clear that many similar events involve far greater numbers of complimentary tickets. To characterize the value of these complimentary tickets as “forfeited revenue” is misleading; the overwhelming majority of the recipients would likely not attend if they had to pay for a ticket. Further, tickets for musicians’ families are commonly part of the compensation package and help Wildlife West attract regionally and nationally recognized acts.
In short, Wildlife West is doing absolutely nothing wrong with its complimentary ticket practices. Like the issue of future tax revenue uncertainty, this objection on Mr. Felton’s part appears either contrived or the result of a misunderstanding that seems inconsistent with Mr. Felton’s purported enthusiasm for ensuring that judgments be based on complete and accurate information. Further, Mr. Felton’s continuing apparent attitude that the Park (which, again, foots 50% of the bill for the event, in part through the very sponsors who receive the complimentary tickets to which Mr. Felton objects) is at best uncharitable.
In the May 7 issue of the local newspaper The Independent (article not available online), former Edgewood Mayor Howard Calkins and current Mayor Bob Stearley exchanged some comments on a variety of issues, including the Wildlife West music festivals. Mr. Stearley raised concerns regarding the possibility that funding the events could be a violation of the State’s “anti donation clause.” He also makes it clear that he is against supporting the festivals and that they should become “self-sufficient.”
The New Mexico “anti-donation clause” (Article 9, Section 14 of the State Constitution) primarily concerns donations of land and buildings and does not appear to prohibit or limit a municipality’s contribution to local events such as those held at Wildlife West. Further, it has been my understanding that Edgewood’s status as a certified community, resulting from its membership in EVEDA, provides substantial exemption to many of the clause’s requirements. After reviewing of Article 9, Section 14, I see no need for concern on Mr. Stearley’s part with respect to anti-donation provisions. It may be appropriate for the Town to seek legal advice rather than speculate on this issue.
I will note that Mr. Stearley and I are in substantial disagreement on the issue of funding the events at Wildlife West. I believe that these events are a substantial benefit to the community. Like everyone who shops in Edgewood, I am a taxpayer and would be delighted to see this funding continued. Mr. Stearley and, I believe, Mr. Felton argue that the events should become self-sustaining. To my knowledge, this has never been a stated position of the Town government. Much of the past rationale for the Town’s contribution to the music festivals was to keep the ticket prices low – one could hardly expect to gain entry to a concert featuring even one of the several nationally-recognized acts featured here for $15 – to make the festivals affordable to everyone in the community. And let’s not forget that tickets include entry to the Park, which is normally $7 for adults – meaning concert-goers are getting an excellent value for their money.
Every year, Wildlife West contributes generously to melodramas, star parties, the Wind Festival, music events, the Harvest festival, and many other functions. They insure the events, provide staff and a multi-million dollar facility, pay the utilities, manage the events, do the accounting, and pay for most of the advertising. Entry fees for these events are extremely modest, making them affordable for the whole community. The ability to do this comes not only from the Town’s relatively modest contribution, but from the contributions of sponsors and other benefactors who help make the Park a top-notch facility, as well as the efforts of its directors and volunteers. The Park also invests about $35,000 annually in marketing events in Edgewood, bringing tourists from all over the world who spend money in Edgewood – money that generates gross receipts tax revenue for the Town. Wildlife West’s youth programs, with a payroll over $70,000 per year, provide employment and a unique learning experience for young people in the community while providing additional stimulus to the local economy. In my opinion, it is time for some people to stop looking to invent reasons to oppose the Park, and recognize it for the asset it is.
It is ultimately the responsibility of the Town government, with input from the public, to make budget decisions. If the goal is to make the festivals self-sustaining, so be it; however, yanking the rug out from under Wildlife West and leaving them short nearly 50% of the festival’s budget less than three months before the event hardly seems the way to attain that goal. Rather, I make a suggestion: let the Town continue its funding for the music event this year, and then let all parties meet and develop a strategy to make the festivals self-sustaining. I am sure that many supporters will come forward to help keep the festivals alive and growing if they perceive a risk of losing them. I will note at this point that supporters may now visit the Wildlife West web site at www.wildlifewest.org and, using a credit card, become members or sponsors, which may help.
3 Responses “Will the Grinches steal Edgewood’s music festival?”
Well said John.
The following is copied from the Edgewood Chamber Edge Newsletter, May 2008.
“I have been thinking about three things this week—so forgive me if I seem to be rambling.
My first thought has been about what is it that creates a feeling of community? What exactly is a sense of community? Wikipedia defines sense of community “as a concept in social psychology which focuses on the experience of community rather than its structure, formation, setting, or other features.†In my mind, it has a great deal to do with pride, connection, identity, and a feeling of belonging. It seems to me that community events are one of the ways to create a sense of community. Events draw people together, they create a feeling of belonging, and they make us proud of the area that we live in. Sense of community is something that we all want, we desire it because it feels good, it feels right, it feels connected. Our own Run, Rally & Rock is one of those events that helps Edgewood residents to feel a sense of community.
My second thought has been about whose responsibility is it to create and maintain that sense of community. Does that job fall to the municipality or someone else? I believe that it falls to the municipality. I believe that is the reason most municipalities create a Parks & Recreation Dept. I believe it is in the best interest of the municipality to enhance the feeling of belonging. I believe that the experience of community is just as important as the community’s structure, formation, setting, and other features.
My third thought is why is that concept so difficult for some people to grasp? It seems so simple to me.”
Best Regards,
Myra Oden
Executive Director
Edgewood Chamber of Commerce
I agree entirely, notwithstanding the later comments from Janelle Turner in The Independent. The idea that a Town should give up its sense of community and focus all resources on the development of infrastructure is, to me, misguided. Certainly, there are needs to be met. However, to suggest that funding for long-standing community events should be discontinued to fund new priorities makes little sense, especially when there was no discussion of discontinuing that funding in the context of the decision to implement these new initiatives. This raises the questions: Did Edgewood act prematurely in starting up its new police department? Is the Town government properly managing the financial aspects of this new effort?
After this week’s budget workshop, there is talk from community members that the mayor and some members of the council will opt for cutting the town’s support for Wildlife West’s events. In addition some of the same community members envision support for the Edgewood Chamber to dissolve. This after the town attorney raised the issue of anti-donation violations. It is strange that this same attorney did not raise these issues during the foregoing period when the support of both entities was granted by the governing body. One has to wonder if his opinion was tailored to dress up the desires of some members of the governing body. In any case, his failure to resolve the so-called issue at the first opportunity is disingenuous at best and potentially costly at worst..
Word has it that support for either may be mute as both organization’s leadership contemplate other support and resolutions to the seemingly constant drum roll of opposition to two organizations that have brought entertainment, culture, nature education and cohesiveness to this community.
Perhaps the brain weevils will depart and some way will be found for the Town of Edgewood to get on board as a solid partner with the citizens and worthy organizations of the community.
Wagers?