Arts Funding Cuts!

It has been brought to our attention that City council members will determine if arts organizations will receive a possible 30% cut in their funding as recommended by city staff. Please join us at the December 18th City Council meeting at 7:30 pm in the support of local arts. Commonpath.org itself was possible only through this type of funding. This is a critical juncture for the city and for us. While city wages and benefits continue to increase with no hope of providing a return on investment, (ROI), the organizations and individuals who have received city arts funds are providing rich cultural resources and programming at a fraction of what it would cost a government-run organization. We have a direct impact on the all-important TOT tax or Transient Occupancy Tax (what a person pays when staying in a motel, hotel, RV park or camp ground). The city of Chico receives approximately $1.8 million in this type of revenue. The people who are visiting our city want to enjoy our cultural amenities. Please help to preserve them!
Some things to consider when looking at Arts & Culture as an industry:

1. Arts & cultural organizations are significant economic assets to the Chico region.
2. It takes a mixture of earned and contributed revenues to make cultural programs available to the public.
3. Arts & culture organizations run on lean budgets; few, if any, provide benefits, retirement, paid vacations, etc., and yet continue to provide excellent performances, programming and events.
4. They help to bring in the much-needed TOT tax or Transient Occupancy Tax -- the monies you pay to stay in a motel, hotel, B&B, RV park or campground.
Whatever your personal opinion is about WHAT should be funded, we need to band together to keep ARTS funding alive! We need to be counted. We need bodies there to voice our concern about the overall concept of possibly cutting arts & culture funding by 30%.. We have worked hard as an arts community to bring our services and funding level to its current state.

What you can do:
Send an email to the following City council members and staff telling them that you genuinely appreciate and need local arts funding and support.
lcameron@ci.chico.ca.us
nkelly@ci.chico.ca.us
dpresson@ci.chico.ca.us
bertfam@sbcglobal.net
mflynn@ci.chico.ca.us
sgruendl@ci.chico.ca.us
aholcomb@ci.chico.ca.us
tnickell@ci.chico.ca.us
aschwab@ci.chico.ca.us
lwahl@ci.chico.ca.us