Two main opponents of arts tax legislation have been groups competing for the same funding or groups opposed to taxes in general.

It can be of great benefit to your policy to hold public discussions and debates with these organizations. It is important to address their concerns and outline how your policy works to improve the community.

With organizations that compete for the same funding, it will be important to know the reach of your proposed policy and how the funds will be used to benefit the community in a way that is better than your competitors. Below is a list of red flags and warning signs to be aware of when proposing a policy.

Apathy
Without a consistent presence in the public, people may begin to forget the importance of the legislation. Strategies involving constant reinforcement of the policy will keep it present in the minds of voters. Routine evaluation will provide you with the facts necessary to express the policy's impact on your community. During tough financial times your city will look for places to cut costs, and efforts to reinforce your importance to the community can save your funding.

Time limitation
It is reasonable to allow for some variance in man-hours. However, If you find yourself and your staff consistently spending more than the allotted time on this project it is time to reevaluate the situation. One possible solution would be to meet with your allied organizations and look for ways to share the workload. You can also consider paying to hire an expert, which would free up your staff for less specific jobs.

Too many concessions
It is helpful to decide in the planning phase what concessions should be expected, and to what level you are willing to compromise. In some cases the integrity of a policy is being compromised by excessive concessions. If this begins happening to your policy, you may want to consider denying compromises and voting for or against the policy as originally written. If the policy fails, you can bring a revised policy to the ballot at a later time.

Lack of partnerships
While it may be possible and beneficial to the community for one arts organization to receive public funding, it is generally better practice to have legislation support the public by funding a cultural district or group of arts organizations.

Lack of buy in
All arts organizations should be informed and/or invited to participate in the tax implementation process.

Internal budget disagreements
This can be avoided by drafting a document outlining how asset allocation calculations will be made.

No system of evaluation
With no way to evaluate, your policy will face danger when you are asked to demonstrate how it is benefiting the community.

No policy maintenance
Little to none of the revenue is delegated for administrative and maintenance costs

Fund disbursement disputes
It is common for organizations of varying budget size and years of operation to dispute the disbursement of revenue. This issue should always be taken seriously. In some cases, a mediator may be needed to make an objective judgment on the disbursement of funds.

Voter fatigue
The size of the entire ballot can dissuade voters from completing every ballot question. In Miami-Dade County, the cultural policy allied with seven similar ballot questions in a slogan, "Eight More Reasons to Vote." By keeping your policy on the minds of voters, they are more likely to vote on the issue.

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