3-27-09
Arts Council Looking at Flat Budget...Maybe
As Gov. Pat Quinn and the Illinois legislature battle over how to close an $11.5 million budget gap, one thing is for sure: the arts are not going to get more money. In fact, from the state they’re getting less. The proposed FY ‘10 state budget includes $15.3 million for the IAC, down from $16 million allocated in FY ’09.
But overall, thanks largely to the federal economic stimulus package, the IAC is getting a slight raise. Federal contributions have gone from $1.5 million in FY ’09 to $2.4 million in FY ’10. This, offset by the fewer dollars the state is giving, raises the total IAC budget from $17.5 million to $17.7 million.
But wait. The $15.3 million state allocation includes a 3 percent spending reserve to help offset the state’s budget shortfall. That is, all state agencies are being required to keep 3 percent unspent in their budget, leaving them able to spend 97 percent of the state money they’re given. That lops $460,000 off of the IAC’s state proposal, lowering their overall spendable budget to $17.2 million.
And that’s if this budget goes through as proposed.
“As part of the budget process the General Assembly can move to increase or decrease the Arts Council’s budget,” said Ra Joy, executive director of the Illinois Arts Alliance, a state advocacy group. “That’s why it’s important that people who value the arts in their communities make their views heard, and make sure their elected leaders understand the importance of the arts.”
To make matters worse, the IAC is still reeling from the massacre of ’07, when their FY ’08 budget was slashed from $22 million to $16 million.
“We’ve been fighting to get out of that hole every since,” said Joy.
Joy is heartened by some things. The Arts and Foreign Language Grant Program was zeroed out for FY ’08, but was restored to its full $4 million funding for FY ’09. It is being kept at level funding. He’s also heartened by the changed political climate. The Arts Council’s budget was originally slashed as part of a war between Gov. Blagojevich and speaker Mike Madigan. Now, with Gov. Quinn, all sides seem to be working better together—at least in their support of arts.
The other heartening aspect of arts funding is in the economic stimulus package. The $50 billion the NEA has to give out is split in two: 40 percent is going to the states; the other 60 percent is going directly to individual artists and organizations. So organizations who have seen their state arts funding slashed in the last few years, can go directly to the NEA—provided they have gotten money from the NEA in the last four years.
Ultimately, Joy wants the Arts Council budget raised from it’s FY ’07 level. A budget of $24 million would cost Illinois tax payers less than two bucks each.
“For less than a cup of coffee,” said Joy, “we can significantly bolster arts in Illinois.”
To weigh in on the IAC budget to your state reps, head to the Illinois Arts Alliance website at www.artsalliance.org.