Vancouver staff outline Cultural Access program and timeline after council-authorized 0.1% sales tax began collecting

City staff and community partners briefed the Vancouver City Council on Monday, May 19, on plans to implement the city's new Cultural Access Program, created by ordinance M4480 and funded by a 0.1% sales tax the council authorized last year. City presenters said collections began April 1 and that the tax could provide up to $7 million annually for seven years.

"The ordinance empowers the city to use the state's cultural access revenue tool to collect a new 1 tenth of 1% sales tax that will be invested in arts, culture, heritage, and science in Vancouver," said Linda Reed, a Culture, Arts and Heritage Commissioner during the workshop.

Nut graf: The council adopted ordinance M4480 in December 2024 to use a state-authorized cultural access sales-tax tool. Staff and a task force are developing a city policy, draft due July 1 and final policy required by ordinance by Oct. 1, to guide grants to 501(c)(3) cultural organizations, K–12 educational engagement, and equity-focused outreach; the city intends to open the grant program in 2026.

What the ordinance and state law allow

Staff said the state-authorized Cultural Access Program (legislation creating the tool was passed in 2015) permits local jurisdictions to add up to 0.1% to the sales tax to fund grants for eligible nonprofit cultural organizations. Linda Reed and Manny Kualin,…