Your Advocacy Matters: Important Information About Tonight’s County Commission Meeting

We look forward to hearing your voices at tonight’s County Commission meeting about a very important decision: The proposal to defund Creative Pinellas.

Attend the Pinellas County Commission Budget Meeting Tonight.
Thursday, September 4, 2025 | 6:00 p.m.
333 Chestnut St., Clearwater, Palm Room

Please note: The meeting is at 6pm tonight, NOT 2pm. Your concerns will be heard during the Public Comment section of the meeting, which is the 4^th item on the agenda. If you would like to speak, you will be asked to fill out a speaker card. We’ll have talking points for you if you should need them.  If not, please speak from the heart about the economic importance of Creative Pinellas. You will have 3 minutes to speak. Please address the Commission as a whole, and we strongly ask that you calmly and politely make your case for continued support of Creative Pinellas.  Emotions are high, but composure and facts will help make a persuasive case.

REMEMBER: This is not about defunding the arts, but defunding Creative Pinellas.

Thank you for your support and advocacy on our behalf, and we look forward to seeing you tonight.

Here at Creative Pinellas, as the designated Local Arts Agency for Pinellas County, we understand the importance of sound fiscal stewardship.

We take pride in how we deliver strong arts and cultural-tourism outcomes while keeping our draw on County funds small and well-leveraged. Our approach is disciplined, transparent, and ROI-driven: we use our modest County allocation to unlock substantial outside dollars, enhance County-owned assets, and drive measurable visitor engagement—at no additional cost to the County. Additionally, we generate nearly $300,000 in outside dollars that amplify the County’s investment. This includes  $150,000 from the Florida Division of Arts & Culture that pays our gallery staff, and multiple contracts for public art that expand impact while insulating the County from additional operating or capital costs. These include $50,000 from Lealman CRA, $40,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts, and $20,000 from the PIE Airport.

We take our stewardship seriously, and ensure that we make efficient use of County funds

Tourism Development Tax (TDT): We receive under 1% of the $94M collected in 2024 and direct those dollars to visitor-facing programs that strengthen Pinellas’s tourism brand and economic impact.

General Fund: We receive 0.004%—a fraction of one percent—of the County budget, with approximately $18,000/year flowing back to the County through our lease agreement.

Capital improvements without County cash outlay: Acting as good stewards of the facility we gratefully lease for the benefit of residents and visitors, Creative Pinellas is executing ~$200,000 in upgrades to the gallery, auditorium, and courtyard—fully funded by grants and vetted by County staff—creating a significant enhancement to a County asset with no County cash outlay.

This year, we are launching new tourism-focused results at no additional County cost:

Making Waves: We revamped TDT grants to place arts experiences where visitors naturally gather—beaches, museums, and outdoor destinations—investing ~$120,000 directly into tourism hubs to encourage itinerary building and length-of-stay gains. This modest investment will generate more than $1 million in economic impact.

Current | Culture (launching Oct. 4): Designed as a traveler’s guide to local culture, our new online magazine showcases Pinellas County as a place where art, nature and innovation thrive. This will allow us to directly reach visitors in the crucial 59-65 days of visit planning – and introduce them to all that our cultural community has to offer.

We believe in accountability, compliance, and value

Clear use of restricted funds: TDT resources are deployed to visitor-facing, tourism-aligned activities consistent with County priorities.

Cost avoidance: Capital upgrades and program expansions are grant-funded, creating long-term value for a County facility without new County expenditures.

Leverage and diversification: A broad portfolio of state, federal, philanthropic, and contract revenue keeps County exposure low while sustaining high-impact programming.

Measurable outcomes: We track attendance, geographic reach, partner participation, and earned media/engagement to document tourism benefit and inform continuous improvement.

Operational integrity: Budgets are conservative; contracts and grant compliance are rigorously managed; and reporting is timely and transparent.

The Bottom line

Creative Pinellas stretches every County dollar. With a small, well-targeted allocation, we:

1. Attract hundreds of thousands in outside funds each year,
2. Deliver tourism-focused programming that engages visitors and supports the local economy, and
3. Enhance a County-owned cultural asset—at no additional County cost.

This is sound fiscal stewardship: low draw, high leverage, and clear, measurable value for Pinellas County residents and visitors.