The King County Council has an exciting opportunity to create transformative access to science, heritage, and the arts for all residents.
By voting to enact the Doors Open legislation, the council would create a 0.1% sales tax for science, heritage, and arts programing. This would raise more than $90 million each year and would cost just $40 per year to an average family, a penny for every $10 spent.
With a focus on geographic equity to reach underserved communities, the Doors Open bill would allow more than 500 organizations throughout the county to bolster existing programs and create new ones, allowing them to better reach youth and seniors, at-risk populations, and integrate with public schools to bring science, heritage, and arts programming to students.
Local businesses also rely on science, heritage, and arts organizations to drive tourism and revenue – and to produce an innovative workforce for Washington business. The Arts & Culture sector represents 10.8% of the state’s GDP, contributing $72.8 billion to Washington’s economy, and supporting nearly 190,000 jobs statewide. (Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis – 2023)
The programs supported by Doors Open mean healthier and more diverse communities, better education for kids, more business opportunities, and a brighter future for King County. From Shoreline to Auburn, Des Moines to Duvall, everyone benefits.