In Youngstown, Ohio, the Power of Arts held a town hall meeting for arts supporters regarding new initiatives to raise more arts funding. Their most recent lobbying effort is to change a provision in the Ohio Revised Code which would allow counties with populations under 1.2 million to fund arts and cultural districts with a cigarette tax.

If the provision were to be removed and approved by voters, the cigarette tax would raise $6.9 million annually in Mahoning County and $6.3 million in Trumbull County. Despite cigarette tax levies success in higher populated areas, state legislators have been hesitant to revise the code. Power of the Arts is partnering with arts supporters in Summit County in its advocacy efforts. Stay tuned for further developments.