The possibility of a new Musical Fare Theater facility now rests in the hands of Amherst residents, with a special vote in the coming months.
A permissive referendum to put the theater troupe’s contract with Amherst up for a vote has been approved by the town clerk’s office. The petition received almost 4,600 resident signatures, with more than 4,300 that were validated by the Erie County Board of Elections.
The decision to let the community choose is a win, regardless of whether the vote goes in favor of MusicalFare’s contract, resident Shelly Schratz said.
“That's a win, regardless of what happens or how it all works out," she said. "We're a group of groups that just came together, and now we've got the same mission. So, our goal will be to get people out to vote, and we do believe that people will get out to vote because (of) how the members of this community have educated themselves.”
Seeing residents pursue a special vote instead of supporting the arts in this case is disappointing, MusicalFare Artistic and Executive Director Randall Kramer told WBFO in a written statement.
"It's disappointing that this group of Amherst residents refuse to acknowledge the economic benefits of MusicalFare Theatre. Government investment in the arts and in businesses is common in Erie county, New York State, and throughout the country" he said. "It is a way that forward-looking town and regional governments build a stronger tax base. We will continue our work with the town of Amherst on this exciting project."
If the vote goes in favor of MusicalFare, the town will take an $11-million bond to build a new performance space, and the theater troupe would pay Amherst $3.3 million up front.
Residents would be more supportive of the contract if it didn't mean Amherst was accountable for millions of dollars, Schratz said.
"The people do not want to pay for MusicalFare," she said. "They're not against it, but they don't want to pay for it. They say, 'OK, you pay to build the building out.'"
The special vote must take place between 90 and 105 days of when the referendum was filed April 24.
