Cultural Access Program

The City of Gig Harbor's Cultural Access Program was created by the Gig Harbor City Council on July 14, 2025. In accordance with RCW 36.160, the program is designed to support local non-profit organizations and public schools in the advancement and preservation of cultural activities including:

• science or technology,
• the visual or performing arts,
• zoology,
• botany,
• anthropology,
• heritage, or
• natural history

Funding for the Cultural Access Program

Funding for the program would come from a 0.1% sales tax (10 cents per $100 spent). A household with $25,000 per year in taxable spending would pay $25 in sales tax toward the program.

The sales tax must be approved by Gig Harbor voters at the November 4 General Election.  If approved, the tax is estimated to generate $1.2 million annually for the program fund. Collection of the new tax would begin on April 1, 2026.  Money collected by the tax would be available to distribute to grant recipients beginning in 2027. 

The tax would expire after seven years but may be renewed for subsequent seven-year periods.

Use of Cultural Access Funds

Up to 10% of the funds may be used for administrative costs to oversee the program. This includes start-up costs, costs for administering the public school cultural access program, and costs for administering the grant program.

Annually, or as needed, the city council will need to determine how much of the funding is required for the public school access program. Whatever funds are leftover are available for grant awards to cultural nonprofits.

Funding determinations are ultimately made by the city council. It is not required for the city to expend all funds that it receives each year. Some funds may be held in reserve for special projects or initiatives.

Public School Cultural Access Program

The public school access program must provide a list of appropriate off-site cultural experiences and a list of appropriate on-site cultural experiences for each grade level, every year. The program may include:

• Information notifying schools of available transportation funding in the list of off-site cultural experiences. The activities and programming are not required to be located or provided within the city.
• Funding for music and arts education in public schools that is in addition to that provided for in the program of basic education funding.
• Providing transportation to off-site cultural experiences.

Cultural Access Grants for Nonprofits

To qualify for a cultural access grant, an organization must:

• be a nonprofit corporation
• be located in WA state
• have a primary purpose of the advancement and preservation of science or technology, the visual or performing arts, zoology, botany, anthropology, heritage, or natural history
• directly provide programming or experiences to the general public

Eligible organizations cannot be a city or state agency, any organization that raises funds for redistribution to multiple cultural organizations, or any radio or television broadcasting network or station, cable communications system, internet-based communications venture or service, newspaper, or magazine.

Examples of Eligible Organizations

Eligible local organizations which already receive funding through the city's Creative Endeavor and Lodging Tax grant programs may include:

• Harbor WildWatch
• Harbor History Museum
• Gig Harbor BoatShop
• Gig Harbor Film Festival
• Asia Pacific Cultural Center
• Peninsula Art League
• Gig Harbor Quilters
• Peninsula Hands On Art
• Narrows Music Society
• Peninsula Youth Orchestra
• Gig Harbor Peninsula Civic Orchestra
• Spectrum Choral Academy
• United By Music America
• Skansie NetShed Foundation
• Gig Harbor Sister Cities Council

Cultural access funding will not replace the city's existing Creative Endeavor and Lodging Tax grant programs.