They do also get private donations from businesses and the local 'wealthy' if you will. They offer corporate packages to businesses at a reduced cost with special benefits
this would be similar to the equalization rate systems when collectinq taxes and settinq levy's......
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
You know, it's kind of funny. For a business that gets so much tax money in more than one way, it's actually a fact that Proctors makes more money (for the most part) if it sells its tickets to events at it's location to people other than those that live in the vicinity.
Remember that there is a hotel tax on all hotels, motels and bed and breakfasts throughout the county. I believe this is a 4% tax on each room. This is charged to anybody that is coming into town to stay and do anything, even in Proctors doesn't appear on their agenda while they are here. If this is such a successful business, then they shouldn't need to dig their hands into the pocket of every single person who sleeps in the county. Also, remember that the Metroplex seems to have been concentrating on the area surrounding Proctors...is this to draw more people to hotels so they can get the extra money...which is now locked in to a fixed rate for 15 years.
Legislators moved in that direction Tuesday night by changing the distribution of receipts raised annually through the motel and hotel occupancy tax, also called the bed tax. They achieved this by amending a law passed in 1985 specifi - cally to provide a steady income to a then-financially struggling Proctors. Proctors will still receive a portion of the annual receipts. But its share will be locked in at $200,000 per year for the next 15 years, beginning in January. This is the last year where it will receive 60 percent of total bed tax receipts and where nonprofits in the county receive the remainder. The county awarded $51,149 to 28 organizations this year and $37,500 to 22 organizations last year. The county levies a 4 percent surcharge on overnight stays in hotels and motels. Proctors indirectly generates a large portion of the receipts by bringing people into town through its extensive schedule of events. Proctors received $175,000 in 2006, and is expected to receive close to $200,000 this year, and more than $3 million over the term of the agreement. In addition to the dedicated bed tax, the county also gave Proctors $1.5 million over recent years toward its $30 million expansion and renovation project. Proctors completed the project this year and plans an open house Sunday.
PETER R. BARBER/GAZETTE PHOTOGRAPHER Disco divas The cast members of “Mamma Mia!” sing “Dancing Queen” by Abba during a performance Tuesday night at Proctors in Schenectady. The show runs through Sunday.
Brad, how much does Proctors get from the county? Who was for this? Who went against this? Anyone who went against this will probably be voted out by the voters for "being against" Proctors. Don't you think? How does any legislator dare vote against pork to popular causes like Proctors and the library?
"While Foreign Terrorists were plotting to murder and maim using homemade bombs in Boston, Democrap officials in Washington DC, Albany and here were busy watching ME and other law abiding American Citizens who are gun owners and taxpayers, in an effort to blame the nation's lack of security on US so that they could have a political scapegoat."
I may have missed it, but I didn't read anything about the turn out for this production last night. Was it a sell out?
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Will let Brad answer specific questions about Proctor's funding. $3 million spent on the last rehab alone. Nobody voted against it. Glad to see something succeed at Proctor's. Been a long time. Far from the 365 day economic engine to revitalize the City that Metrograft Ray/Morris promised. Parisi's is closing after dinner service this Saturday. 5 other restaurants have closed Downtown this year. Phillip Morris picked up another award from the City Council this week. No, I'm not joking.
As far as the Main Library Addition, the County Democrats flushed $200,000 into plans they knew they couldn't pay for. Lies about Downtown library usage. Then the closure dust up, amped by the People's Gazette, gave them cover to pull the plug on the unnecessary addition. Joe Suhrada was the only one to question the need for a public coffeehouse and more office space. Everyone else went along for the ride. The Duanesburg library is the only library that should have been enlarged. It's not 10 minutes from another branch.
Proctors received a $10M grant from the Schenectady Metroplex. Additionally, the County Legislator includes hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding for Proctors as part of the annual budget.
The Metroplex investment in Proctors is discussed in the article below. Many of the statements made in this article, including the number of jobs created by Metroplex "investment" can be challenged as no evidence has been provided to substantiate the claims.
... As for Proctors, Metroplex provided a $10 million grant toward expanding and rehabilitating the downtown landmark. Proctor’s more than matched the grant through additional grants and other sources by the time it completed the project. ...
The adopted 2008 budget contains a line item for Proctors Theater on page 251 that indicates that $200K of county tax revenues was given to the non-profit organization. I don't know if this line item represents all of the revenues awarded to the theater as I had been informed that the amount was $450k. The proposed 2009 budget shows (again on page 251) that $200K of county tax revenues is planned to be awarded to Proctors Theater.
Proctors Theater must return to being self-sustaining as it was for decades. The taxpayers cannot continue to pay annual double digit increases in county property taxes to enable awards of a quarter of a million dollars (or more) to this non-profit organization. If the Proctors leadership and business model cannot turn a profit, then one or both should be replaced. Perhaps if property taxes in Schenectady County were reduced, the residents would have the discretionary income to attend productions at Proctors and dine in the restaurants that have located in Schenectady's "Arts and Entertainment district".
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Two wrongs don't make a right. The Palace is doing much better, events regularly sell out. Proctor's did not sell out last night.
Last year Proctor's received $300,000 to promote "arts nights". Then they show an outdoor movie late December {in zero weather} with no sound and wonder why no one shows up. You can't make this stuff up. We have Metrograft Ray wasting $3 million on the Big Hose that still hasn't opened. 8 months of "finishing touches" and nobody says nuthin. CBS-6 flatly refuses to run a follow up story. The waste at the County level is staggering. The arts haven't created one single job Downtown and since the Krats took over thousands of jobs have left the City.
My point was that BOTH can't sustain them selves. If there was money to be made off of these theaters, a private business would have scoffed them both up a long time ago! But clearly there is no profit to be made and never will be. They are money pits!
So I guess our elected officials thought this would be a 'good sound investment', huh? What they fail to recognize or admit to is how they are dumping our money into this 'theater' while our taxes are going up by double digits yearly. Crime is out of control. Businesses are leaving, closing or never even opening. They continue to create patronage jobs and give themselves raises AND awards for excellence in achievement.
I wonder...since they, our elected officials, are so into the 'arts'....I'm sure they wouldn't find it offensive if someone displayed manikins that resembled all or some of them, hanging from a noose. And perhaps right under the Proctors marquee sign. I mean it is 'art' after all, right?
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
So Brad, did ALL the legislators vote to give Proctors that kind of slush?
"While Foreign Terrorists were plotting to murder and maim using homemade bombs in Boston, Democrap officials in Washington DC, Albany and here were busy watching ME and other law abiding American Citizens who are gun owners and taxpayers, in an effort to blame the nation's lack of security on US so that they could have a political scapegoat."
Quoted from GrahamBonnet: So Brad, did ALL the legislators vote to give Proctors that kind of slush?
Graham, I will review the newspaper articles pertaining to last year's county budget vote and try to find the results of the vote. I attended many of last years meetings, but can't recall how each Legislator voted.
Downtown Schenectady is, as we know, beginning to thrive despite a dysfunctional economy. Philip Morris, director of Proctors, has succeeded in bringing terrifi c shows, movies and events to Schenectady. At the back of the arcade at Proctors is the GE Theatre, a not-so-well-known jewel seating 400 people. The theater has been running some great films, often times Cannes Festival winners. These are the kind of films people drive many miles to see, avoiding the usual blockbuster fare. (Some of these GE Theatre movies have even preceded openings at the Spectrum, as “Encounters at the End of the World”). The movies are modestly advertised because of tightness of funds. There are newspaper and Web site ads and fliers at the ticket office, but not enough publicity to make any impact. I know there are other movie nuts in this community who would leap at the chance to see these productions if they knew about them! This is my way of letting them know.
Logged
PETER R. BARBER/GAZETTE PHOTOGRAPHER 
Will let Brad answer specific questions about Proctor's funding. $3 million spent on the last rehab alone. Nobody voted against it. Glad to see something succeed at Proctor's. Been a long time. Far from the 365 day economic engine to revitalize the City that Metrograft Ray/Morris promised. Parisi's is closing after dinner service this Saturday. 5 other restaurants have closed Downtown this year. Phillip Morris picked up another award from the City Council this week. No, I'm not joking.
