Heath voters repeal Davis-Shai ordinance

HEATH — Residents of Heath voted Tuesday to repeal last year's city council ordinance requiring city bed tax funds go to the Heath Community Arts Council to operate the Davis-Shai House.

In a result similar to the November vote, almost 56 percent of Heath voters said "yes" to eliminating the ordinance that designated $75,000 in city bed tax funds annually for three years to the Heath Community Arts Council for the city-owned cultural arts center.

In November, 58 percent of voters chose to repeal a 2002 ordinance allocating $75,000, or 95 percent of city bed tax funds, whichever is greater, to the arts council to run the facility. The appropriation was $118,000 last year.

The recent vote eliminates the mandated funding but does not prohibit the city from providing some funds for the arts council, in addition to the city obligations in the management contract and lease.

Heath Mayor Mark Johns said he plans to work with the arts council to determine the best way forward.

"What I've advocated for is an arrangement where the city's money can be used directly toward events it would like to have the arts council host at the Shai House, rather than the city simply cutting the arts council a check and have no say in how that money would be used," Johns said.

Park Shai, whose family donated the house to the city in 1995 and serves as board president of the Heath Community Arts Council, said a "yes" vote on the referendum could virtually close the cultural arts center.

The city has not paid the arts council any bed tax funds this year, pending the outcome of the election. Shai said funds are running low.

The mayor said he does not believe voters want the facility closed but instead want to find more value in it as a community center.

"I'd like to see the arts council as an entity remain, but I'd like to see changes in what it does, how it does it and why it does it," Johns said. "The Shai House isn't going to go away. The city continues to own it and the arts council continues to use it.

The 2014 ordinance reduced the funding, but referendum supporters said the $75,000 paid by visitors staying in Heath hotels and motels would be better spent on other city needs.

The house was built by Jackson Davis in 1861 and purchased at a sheriff's sale in 1945 by Dr. Joseph Park Shai. It was moved behind Wal-Mart in 1996.

kmallett@newarkadvocate.com

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Twitter: @kmallett1958