Mayor cites impact of theater patrons who dine and shop downtown as justification for matching grant
Earle Kimel
VENICE – The Venice City Council approved creating a $125,000 matching grant fund to help Venice Theatre’s fundraising effort to rebuild following the devastating impact of Hurricane Ian in 2022.
Venice Mayor Nick Pachota brought the matching grant program before the council Tuesday and cited both the stimulus the nonprofit theatre brings to downtown businesses and restaurants, as well as the city’s partnership and financial support of other nonprofits, including Venice MainStreet and Venice Area Beautification Inc. as justification for establishing the matching grant fund.
Venice Theatre is currently in the midst of its 75th anniversary season.
In September the council voted to sponsor the season with a donation of $5,000 – the maximum allowed by a cap on such donations adopted in June 2020 – with the family of Venice Mayor Nick Pachota picking up an additional $75, to total $5,075.
Pachota noted that prior to Hurricane Ian, Venice Theatre typically sold 85,000 tickets to shows, many of those patrons frequenting downtown residents and businesses either before or after performances.
“They’re down to about half of that now,” Pachota said. “They’re at 42,000 tickets sold in a year.”
He later referenced roughly $420,000 in investment earnings detailed by Finance Director Linda Senne and noted that the $125,000 sum can easily be covered from that.
“I think it’s a modest amount compared to what they’ve raised themselves,” Pachota said.
Through its Next Act Capital Campaign the theater has been working to raise roughly $25 million to repair and improve the theatre.
Counting a $200,000 donation from the Lutz Family Foundation announced last month, the campaign is now within $10 million of achieving its goal.
Council Member Ron Smith, wanted to increase the matching fund to $500,000 but that did not happen.
The motion passed, 6-1, with Council Member Rachel Frank in dissent. She pointed to the possibility of other nonprofits, including the Laurel Civic Association, which is raising funds for a new facility in the city and Family Promise of South Sarasota County Inc. coming for similar donations.
She also noted that the city needs to hire more police officers – as detailed in the council’s strategic planning retreat on Feb. 3 – as well and looming contract negotiations, such as with Venice Fire and Rescue personnel, who are now the lowest paid in the region.