On Sept. 4, Pinellas County Commissioners repeatedly cited property taxes in their 5-2 preliminary vote to strip funding from Creative Pinellas, the county’s designated arts agency.
The vote left artists and arts leaders stunned—and this week, Creative Pinellas laid off four staffers.
One of the biggest mysteries surrounding this month’s vote was why the commissioners spoke of property taxes when the overwhelming majority of people in the room came to talk about art. The reason for this disconnect remains unclear, but a letter from The Florida Department of Government Efficiency suggests one possible explanation…