Detroit-area voters approved a tax increase last week to raise money for the long-struggling Detroit Institute of Arts.
Voters in the region's three counties, Wayne, Macomb and Oakland, all approved the tax hike. It is expected to generate $23 million annually that the museum will use for operating funds. Its current operating budget totals around $25 million.
Officials had warned that the museum could close if voters rejected the millage increase.
Residents from the three counties will now enjoy free admission to the museum, which also plans to expand outreach programs and its operating hours.
The success of the hike spurred Ann Arbor officials to consider putting a tax increase on the November ballot to to help support public art in the city. The measure would raise $450,000 annually for four years, local reports said.
The City Council could vote on the resolution at its Aug. 20 meeting. The money would replace the city's current public art program, which is paid for out of the general fund.
