CLARIFICATION - Ammiano arts funding

By Aldrich M. Tan

April 7, 2006

Supervisor Tom Ammiano clarified that he moved an item regarding city art funding from the Budget and Finance Committee at Wednesday's meeting so that the Government and Oversight Committee could specifically hear the recommendations from the Arts Task Force at their meeting next Monday. They will not discuss any appropriation of funds, said Angela Calvillo, Ammiano's aide.

The Budget and Finance Committee had initially requested to appropriate $500,000 to the Grant for the Arts program. Then, Supervisor Sean Elsbernd expressed concern that the committee had not heard from the Arts Task Force yet.

"Why are we hearing about the supplemental now when we haven't heard the recom-mendations from the Arts Task Force?" Elsbernd said.

The Committee ultimately accepted only $250,000 to fund Arts programs before the rest of the Ordinance was tabled, Calvillo said.

At Ammiano's request, Supervisor Aaron Peskin rescinded the vote for the tabled-portion of the ordinance and amended it down to reflect the amount of $1 so that the Government and Oversight Committee could hear recommendations from the Arts Task Force, Calvillo said.

The Arts Task Force recommendations will be the first item of discussion for the Monday April 10th meeting of the Government Audit & Oversight Committee at 1:00 p.m., Calvillo said.

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