Daniel L. Ritchie was unanimously approved Tuesday as the Denver Center for the Performing Arts’ new chairman and chief executive. And he wasted no time announcing an agenda that includes seeking relief from the city’s 10 percent seat tax.
“It’s a huge burden,” Ritchie said of the center’s $2.3 million annual tab. “It didn’t matter much when the Bonfils Foundation was giving us $6 (million)-$7 million a year … but that era is no longer here, and won’t be again. It will take a tremendous amount of work to overcome that, and that’s why I see no alternative to relief from the city. We just have no choice.
“We don’t need to take the whole tax off, but we do need some help.”
Mayor John Hickenlooper called the seat tax a complicated issue that he will discuss directly with Ritchie.
The city collects a 10 percent tax on events held at any city-owned facility, including the Denver Performing Arts Complex, Denver Coliseum and Red Rocks. It does not include sports arenas such as the Pepsi Center, which are privatized.
The seat tax generates up to $9 million a year, which is used to pay off Buell Theatre bonds, $45 million in Ellie Caulkins Opera House certificate of participation renovation bonds, and to maintain venues.
While Theatre and Arenas chief Jack Finlaw sympathizes with the DCPA’s financial plight, he said the seat tax is not a realistic relief target.
He said the city needs $6 million a year to properly maintain its facilities, but gets only $3 million for that purpose now.
“If we eliminated the seat tax, we would still have to fund our capital projects from some source,” Finlaw said.
Outgoing DCPA chairman Donald R. Seawell said similar taxes in Seattle and New York were eliminated as counterproductive, “and their’s were only in the 3 percent range. Ours is 10.”
The new DCPA chairman’s other goals include increased fundraising and vastly expanding school outreach programs.
“I’m feeling like we are going to have some fun,” said Ritchie, 74, who will assume his new responsibilities Jan. 1. Seawell, 94, will remain as chairman emeritus. Like Seawell, Ritchie will not be paid.
“I feel wonderful about this,” said Seawell, who handpicked Ritchie. “It’s everything I could have hoped for. Imagine getting a man like this. It’s incredible. He’s going to build on the foundation we have, and we expect incredible things out of him.”
In 16 years as University of Denver chancellor, Ritchie led a $274 million fundraising campaign, a $430 million building program and gave $50 million in a personal gift. His efforts led to new student residences, classroom buildings, a performing arts center, an athletic center and increased scholarship funds. He joined the DCPA as a board member in March.
“I think having Don next door is going to be so helpful, because he has tremendous history and experience no one else in the whole world has,” Ritchie said. “Otherwise, I would be pretty nervous.”
Ritchie said the biggest difference between his chairmanship and Seawell’s will be “a more academic style” and a more proactive role in fundraising.
“To do what we need to do, we need to substantially increase fundraising, but we have such wonderful people in place, I think we can find the money to really do something special.”
Seawell said he has no idea what he might do with his free time because, “I don’t think Dan has any plans to give me any.”
A former Denver Post editor and publisher, Seawell helped build the performing arts complex into the world’s largest under one roof.
Theater critic John Moore can be reached at 303-954-1056 or jmoore@denverpost.com.
