State Rep. Michele Reneau, R-Hixson, and State Sen. Bo Watson, R-North Chattanooga, presented Hamilton County cultural, historical and recreational organizations with over half a million dollars combined in state grants Wednesday.
But the grant program, which one recipient called critical, could be discontinued this year if state funds are insufficient, Watson said.
The Tennessee State Museum Program distributes $5 million in grants across the state to support the greater effort of telling the story of Tennessee and preserving its local history and culture.
One of the recipients, the Hunter Museum of American Art, has received a grant award through the program two times. The museum had two leaky roofs and used the funds for repairs immediately.
“You know, this funding is very beneficial,” said Virginia Anne Sharber, the museum’s director. “You have to protect the art. This was critical.”
Of the 99 grant awards this year, eight were given to Hamilton County-based organizations. The grant amount varies, with a maximum amount of $100,000.
“This is the third year we’ve done grants,” Watson said while presenting the grants at a ceremony on Market Street. “There’s no guarantee that we do it next year.”
The program is funded on a yearly basis and needs to be included in the upcoming state budget to continue.
At a November Republican Caucus meeting, Watson, who serves as chair of the Senate Finance Committee, said state revenues are essentially flat and that the state could need $700 million for existing programs just to cover inflation and population growth, The Tennessee Journal reported.
Watson also noted Wednesday the state needs an additional $50 million in the budget to cover new costs.
“As chairman of finance and as chairman of the State Museum Commission, my objective is to keep this in the budget. What level of funding I’m able to keep it in the budget, it will be determined by what our revenues look like and what available funding I have,” Watson told the Chattanooga Times Free Press. “I think the majority, the overwhelming majority, of my colleagues in the Senate and my colleagues in the House support this program. So I feel good about the program continuing. I don’t know how much I can put in until I know where we are.”
(READ MORE: Watson says Republicans improved state education with school choice)
Watson said the grant program has been popular across the state at the local level.
Due to program funding uncertainty, the grants are limited to one-time use capital maintenance and improvements like building repairs, electric work and accessibility upgrades and can’t be used for ongoing projects like activity programming.
“We were really lucky this year to have a number of those grants distributed here in Hamilton County,” Watson said.
The Hamilton County grant recipients are the Charles H. Coolidge National Medal of Honor Heritage Center, Creative Discovery Museum, Harrison Bay State Park, Houston Museum of Decorative Arts, Hunter Museum of American Art, International Towing & Recovery Museum, Soddy Daisy-Montlake Historical Association and Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum.
(READ MORE: Hunter Museum director Virginia Anne Sharber shares her best business habit)
Contact politics reporter Ruby Rayner at rrayner@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6556.
