ArtServe Update: MCACA FY2011 OFFICIAL BUDGET

ARTSERVE MICHIGAN UPDATE:

MCACA FISCAL YEAR 2011 BUDGET

Last week, the Conference Committee on General Government met to vote on the General Government budget for Fiscal Year 2011. The total appropriation for the MCACA in Fiscal Year 2011 will be $2,560,100 - a $200,000 increase from the current Fiscal Year due to increased federal funds received from the National Endowment for the Arts.

However, while the MCACA budget was left intact, the conference report included language stating that the three council staff was to be paid out of the council's grant budget instead of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation Strategic Fund's Job Creation Services Fund. Knowing the MEDC would push for this, ArtServe spent the past few months working with legislators to include $400,000 in an administrative line for the council in the conference report. Unfortunately, due to the amount of money the legislature has to work with we were unable to get the conference committee to include money for the council's administrative staff.

In addition to losing approximately $400,000 to administrative costs, the overall MCACA budget will be decreased by an estimated $72,000 due to unrealized funds from the MCACA tax check-off. The legislature had "penciled" in $100,000 in an effort to ensure that a supplemental appropriation was not needed.

Breaking down the Conference Report for the MCACA:
- Total appropriation of $2,560,100 (of which $1,050,000 is federal money, $1,410,100 in state General Fund dollars and $100,000 in individual donations)
- Minus around $72,000 in unrealized funds from the tax check-off box (slated at $100,000 -- Michigan citizens contributed around $28,000)
- Minus approximately $400,000 in administrative costs
- Total FY 2011 grant budget of approximately $2,088,100

While the exclusion of funding for administrative staffing costs is unfortunate, it's not the end of the world as the MCACA will continue to provide limited but much needed financial support to this state's arts and cultural organizations. Moving on, I look forward to working with a new administration and legislature next year to begin recapitalizing the MCACA.

As always, if you have any questions or comments please contact Mike Latvis directly at mike@artservemichigan.org or 248-379-5897.