To: Board of County Commissioners
Through: Michelle Halstead, Director, Commissioners' Office
Prepared By:
prepared
Daniela Villarreal, Management Analyst, Commissioners' Office
end
presenter
Presenter: Daniela Villarreal, Management Analyst, Commissioners Office; Tim Murphy, Program Officer, SCFD; Stephanie Spriggs, Cultural Council Chair
end
Subject:
title
1:30 PM *Arapahoe County Cultural Council 2026/2027 SCFD Tier III Award Recommendations
end
Purpose and Request:
recommended action
The purpose of this study session is to present the 2026/2027 Arapahoe County Cultural Council Tier III award recommendations for Board consideration.
end
Alignment with Strategic Plan: Economic Resilience and Stability - Support long-term economic resilience through responsible fiscal and investment strategies.
Background and Discussion: The Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD) is a seven-county tax district established under Colorado law, approved by the Colorado General Assembly, and repeatedly renewed by voters for more than 30 years. SCFD distributes funds generated by a 0.1% (1/10 of 1%) sales and use tax to qualified cultural organizations across the Denver metro area through a three-tier funding structure:
1. Tier I provides direct funding to the largest cultural organizations based on a formula defined in state statute.
2. Tier II supports regional organizations, such as the City of Aurora Cultural Services Division and Wings Over the Rockies, which qualify by meeting specific budget and attendance thresholds.
3. Tier III allocates funding to each participating county, which in turn distributes its share through local Cultural Councils, such as the Arapahoe County Cultural Council (ACCC).
The Arapahoe County Cultural Council (ACCC) is appointed by the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) to review applications and make funding recommendations for the County's share of SCFD revenue, in accordance with SCFD's established grant pr...
Click here for full text