Seattle music/theater/art group "Awesome" premiered at noSIGNAL at On the Boards. Photo by David Nixon.
Council approves city budget, arts funding remains steady
Despite the tough economic climate, the City Council passed a 2009-2010 city budget Nov. 24 that holds the line for funding to the Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs next year. The council approved the proposed arts budget Mayor Greg Nickels presented in September.
In recent weeks, city officials worked to close a budget shortfall of nearly $19 million in the city's two-year budget, the result of lower-than-expected revenues from sales taxes and business and occupation taxes. Many city departments will weather reductions.
We thank the mayor and City Council for maintaining funding for arts and culture. In 2009, the Office will continue its current levels of investment in the city's arts and cultural organizations, individual artists, youth arts, neighborhood and community programs. We will also enter into the second year of our groundbreaking Arts Education Partnership Initiative with Seattle Public Schools. The school district will match our $100,000 investment to provide access to quality arts education for all students. And with more than 40 active public art projects, we will continue to enrich our city's public spaces.
The Office's 2009 budget allocation is $7.5 million?down $356,000 from 2008. End-of-year updates to the percent-for-art fund?which is tied to capital improvement projects?will slightly alter the final figure. The 2009 budget does not include several one-time additions in 2008 for capital special projects, which accounts for much of the difference between our 2008 and 2009 budgets.
The situation changes in 2010 when the city budget proposes a four percent reduction to our general fund allocation. In the meantime, we will determine how best to reduce expenses while maintaining core programs. For city budget highlights, click here.