SCFD director outlines reauthorization plan and seeks to grow Adams County share of cultural funding

Andrea Albo, director of the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District, told Adams County commissioners that SCFD is funded by a 0.1% sales‑tax across seven Denver‑area counties and that statutory rules allocate 64% of district funds to five tier‑1 institutions without an eligibility process. "We receive 1 tenth of 1% — for every $10 spent in each of the seven counties, 1 penny goes into this special district fund," Albo said, describing the mechanisms that leave less to distribute to smaller local organizations.

Albo said SCFD currently counts 25 funded organizations in Adams County — one tier‑2 and 24 tier‑3 organizations — and that $3,000,000 returned to Adams County in 2024 out of about $14,700,000 contributed. She described a multi‑phase reauthorization process that began with a discovery phase and a contracted third‑party consultant. The effort aims to produce a draft proposal for statutory changes and a board review in late summer 2027 ahead of a planned 2028 ballot reauthorization, with the statute expiring in 2030.

Commissioners pressed Albo on whether Adams County could attract more tier‑2 or tier‑1 activity and asked what the denominator is for eligible organizations. "Is it 25 out of 50 organizations that might be eligible, or is it 25 out of 200? We want to understand that data so we can do strategic outreach," a commissioner said. Albo acknowledged the need for better denominator data and said staff will sharpen an Adams County dashboard and expand technical assistance and outreach, including workshops and county‑level trainings.

Multiple commissioners suggested exploring satellite or partnership models so tier‑1 institutions can bring programs into Adams County communities rather than relying on residents to travel to Denver. Albo said SCFD staff and the county cultural councils are available to work on outreach, and she invited commissioners and their staff to suggest communities and organizations to include in a districtwide listening tour and stakeholder advisory group.

Albo also highlighted the economic case for cultural funding, citing a 2024 economic‑activity figure presented in SCFD materials and noting the district uses a statutory distribution formula that has not been substantially updated since the program’s creation in the late 1980s. She said the district will complete phase‑1 discovery work in the spring and move to broader listening and proposal phases in the next 18 months.

The briefing ended with staff agreeing to strengthen county‑level data presentations, to follow up with a more detailed breakdown of funded and eligible organizations in Adams County, and to work with commissioners on outreach ideas and festival participation ahead of the reauthorization process.