BREAKING NEWS: Administration Recommends $2.36 Million for Arts Grants
This morning Governor Granholm presented her Fiscal Year 2011 Executive Budget Recommendations to a joint meeting of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees. Among many other things, the budget includes $566 million in cuts and reforms while tapping into $722 million in federal recovery assistance funds.
Governor Granholm has recommended leaving the Fiscal Year 2011 grant budget of the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs relatively level at $2,367,400. This includes $850,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts as well as a projected $100,000 to be secured through personal income tax donations from the Michigan Council for Arts Fund. The funding supports three full-time employees, and while we are still combing through the budget bill, we believe that there may be a mix of operational and capital funding recommended by the Governor.
Given what occurred last year, and what may have been expected, we believe that this is positive start to the 2011 budget process. ArtServe is pleased to see that the administration has recognized the importance of arts and culture to Michigan's communities and the revitalization of the state. However, we know that the state can and must do more to support organizations that contribute so much to the people of Michigan and our state's economy.
The state can and must do more to support a sector that generates over $65 million each year in tourism spending. It can and must do more to support a sector that contributes 21,059 arts-related businesses and puts over 75,000 people to work. The state can and must do more to support a sector that contributes over $1.5 billion each year to the state in personal income. The state can and must do more to support a sector that provides arts education programming in school districts where budget cuts have eliminated funding for arts classes, band and orchestra programs, theater, dance and more. We intend to continue emphasizing this message to the members of the Legislature and to each and every prospective candidate in the November statewide election.
As it is every year, we have a long way to go until this budget is finalized. The legislative review and approval process for the FY 2011 General Government budget, which includes the MCACA, will begin in the House and end in the Senate. ArtServe will need your continued commitment to contact and inform your elected officials if we are to succeed in securing appropriate funding for the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and its programs for Fiscal Year 2011. Trust that we will stay in touch to keep you up to speed and let you know what you can do to "ignite" our leaders to action in rebuilding the state's investment for the arts.
As always, if you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact ArtServe Michigan's Director of Public Policy, Mike Latvis at mike@artservemichigan.org or 248-379-5897.
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