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$1.4 MILLION FOR ARTS OPERATIONS.
As a first step toward achieving the 10-year, $50 million goal set out in "Great Arts = Great City", Toronto City Council is being urged to add $1.4 million to its 2003 arts grants budget. In it's 2003 Budget Submission, Toronto Arts Council argues that 1)non-profit arts sector grants should grow from 2002 levels of $12.5 million to $13.9 million and that 2)the percentage increase (11%) should be applied evenly across the sector as currently funded by the City. Resulting increases would be as follows: Toronto Arts Council clients ($1 million); City clients ($371,000); Local Art Service Organizations ($35,000); Toronto Artscape ($25,000). It is widely believed that the City is in poor financial straits and in no position to increase arts funding. Toronto Arts Council argues, nonetheless, that the City's arts sector provides essential services and has had no significant funding increase since before amalgamation. In fact, the requested increase merely equals losses to inflation since amalgamation. While $1.4 million would not go far, by itself, toward closing the gap between current arts sector operating revenues and revenues needed to enable efficient operation, granting it would be a bold first step on the part of City Council. Increased municipal funding leverages revenue from other sources and signals that our leaders know the value of the arts to our society. City Council will meet to vote on budget in late February. Interested
parties should plan to attend. During January, Toronto Arts Council
will depute before appropriate Council committees and meet to brief
individual Councillors and encourage their support. This Newsletter
will report periodically on progress. |
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