Below is a letter to The Explorer (Jan 16) from neighbor John Musolf
Arts council can’t keep asking for more money
I would like to comment on Patrick McNamara’s recent article “Arts in ‘dire’ straits,” published in the Explorer on Jan. 2.
President Satish Hiremarth commented that the Greater Oro Valley Arts Council (GOVAC) has supported the quality of life in arts and culture in Oro Valley for the last 10 years. I believe what GOVAC is doing is admirable, but their activities must be on a sound business basis.
The original intent of the master operating agreement between the town of Oro Valley and GOVAC was that the TOV funding (taxpayer money) would diminish over time, not increase. It appears that the TOV taxpayers will be asked to continue to increase their contributions as deficits grow. GOVAC is looking to TOV to increase its contribution from $110,000 (2006/2007) to $210,000 (2007/2008).
Mr. McNamara stated in his article that “Corporate donations, which according to the group’s tax statements have been on the rise, make up another sizeable portion of the group’s budget.”
However, one of the comments made by GOVAC at the TOV council study session on Dec. 12 was that deficits might grow larger because some corporate donations have recently been reduced because of economic conditions. For example, Wells Fargo had reduced their donation by 50 percent to a recent GOVAC “event.” Does GOVAC mean to imply that the government and taxpayers are not affected by economic conditions and can make up any GOVAC shortfalls?
Instead of paying GOVAC executive directors up to $50,000 per year, the money would be better spent on some professional accounting and audit support to prudently learn how to budget and balance both revenue and expenses and live within reasonable parameters (a sound business basis).
Significant work must be done by GOVAC to provide the detail to show their activities can be primarily self-sustaining with minimum taxpayer funding.
According to GOVAC’s executive director, Kate Marquez, most events are planned with deficits expected.
“We have so many programs that don’t generate revenue,” Marquez said.
“Only about 20 percent of GOVAC’s 47 annual events earn money,” according to Marquez.
The Oro Valley taxpayers can’t be expected to continue to “bail out” GOVAC for past deficits and future projected ones.
John Musolf,
Oro Valley
1 comment:
Let's see now - the Arts Council states that [most events are planned with deficits expected], an over the top 'SPORTS and ARTS' complex is being pushed with operating deficits most probable, EDA's were granted to several retail developments with the result of less than expected benefits realized (much, much less!), we're still considering giving away more of the 'store'
in order to cozy up to the likes of Sanofi-Aventis, nationally we are in an economic slowdown which no one can ascertain when or to what extent it will bottom out, or, how long it might take to recover, a large quantity of our retail 'fronts' remain unoccupied, a company like Wells Fargo is lowering gratuities because they know they must trim their budgets, BUT the Town of Oro Valley keeps rolling along, blind to fiscal realities, beholden to their pet projects, not even caring that our land has limited resources (oh well, we'll worry about that later), and definitely not realistically caring that most of our citizenry has limited pocketbooks (and not just the fixed income retirees).
IS THIS A TOWN GONE BESERK?
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