Council votes not to rescind art funds

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 FARThe 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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