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City Council Meeting
The Chattanooga City Council decided Tuesday not to turn back time on money for public art and instead keep its funding intact.
The council voted 7-1 Tuesday night not to rescind receiving $40,000 in grant money from the Lyndhurst and Benwood foundations for the city's public art program.
Councilman Jack Benson first brought up rescinding last week's vote.
"You may say this is a drop in the bucket," Benson said. "But that fills up a bucket."
The city is expected to match $20,000 of the $40,000. Benson, who voted against rescinding last week's vote, brought up time and time again that he thought the item needed to be discussed in next fiscal year's agenda.
He voted against rescinding the vote after hearing that the council discussed the matter in this year's capital budget and the money had been allocated in that budget.
THE STORY SO FAR
The City Council voted 7-2 last week to accept a $40,000 grant from the Lyndhurst and Benwood foundations for public art. The city is expected to match the money with $20,000 from the 2010-11 fiscal year capital budget.
Councilman Andraé McGary also made a point to Benson that more than $60,000 had been allocated to Heritage House, which is in Benson's district. McGary said Heritage House and public art could both be seen as extravagant expenditures by some.
"I can't see how you can separate those," McGary said.
Councilman Peter Murphy also said that the $20,000 was only a small percentage of the budget.
"This is a very, very small investment for the intangibles," Murphy said.
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Cliff has worked for the Times Free Press for five years and covers Chattanooga city government. He previously covered Rhea County, as well as transportation and growth and development in Southeast Tennessee. A native of Maryville, Tenn., Cliff graduated in 2003 from the University of Tennessee with a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis on journalism. Before coming to Chattanooga, he was a crime reporter with Hernando Today, a supplement of The Tampa (Fla.) ...
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Someone please drug test the City Council members who credit art as a major contributor to VW presence. VW selected Chattanooga for the $212,000 in local bond issues and legal factors that govern employment law and taxes. What a dream world these folks live in, they obviously do not understand what drives the corporate, and it is always the bottom line. Art caused VW to be here, Ba haha
I have no obligation to pay taxes to prop up artists or art in general. It is a ridiculous notion that any government can levy taxes to fund an art collection. Understand, that our current city council, as a majority, does believe that taxing for art is appropriate. Only in Disney Land.
mean $212,000 million
They take away police officers cars and give 20,000 to art.this dont make sense..There's already a naked statue in front of Market Street Bridge..I guess they call that art...lol Chattanooga Council members will vote to take away the people safety by taking away take home police cars and they will give 20,000 dollars so more naked statues can be built...ugh
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