Arts Agency Funding

At a glance

What: Hotel Occupancy Tax funding for arts agencies and the Mayor's idea of capping agencies at $250,000 and moving other costs into the Hotel Occupancy Tax.
Where it stands: No change adopted; the City Manager's budget passed September 17.
Next: Viagran asked for a review of Hotel Occupancy Tax funded agencies that receive more than $100,000 in the next fiscal year.

Krystal Jones explained a three-year contract under Arts Funding Guidelines; moving other items into the tax would cut currently funded agencies 14 percent (the Mayor said 15 percent). Tate said there was no capacity in the Hotel Occupancy Tax and Walsh said all arts agencies would be cut if other programs were funded from it.
Jones proposed cutting arts agencies 13 percent to fund the Martin Luther King Commission and capping agencies at $250,000. Bass of Visit San Antonio said absorbing $3 million of World Heritage activities would materially reduce marketing and cost $3.5 million in hotel tax revenue.
Four speakers on September 16 opposed reducing arts agency funding and three opposed cuts to delegate agencies and arts nonprofits. Kaur wanted culturally specific agencies kept whole; Alderete Gavito opposed moving public art maintenance to the tax.

Speakers opposed arts agency cuts.

Jones proposed capping arts agencies; Bass described the effect of a $3 million shift.

Krystal Jones and Tate explained limits on Hotel Occupancy Tax funding.