City Council Approves Proposal to Increase Funding for Arts

A proposal to more than double city funding for local arts and culture organizations over the next five years was unanimously approved Monday by the San Diego City Council.

The amount given to the city's Commission on Arts and Culture will increase by 129 percent to $17.9 million, according to the city's Independent Budget Analyst.

The commission supported 68 arts and culture organizations in 2011 and is backing 75 this year, according to Victoria Hamilton, its organization's executive director.

The commission receives a portion of hotel room tax revenues in which the council has discretion. The agency gets about half of what it took in a decade ago because of the city's budget woes.

Arts advocates pushed for a formula to give the commission 1 percent of a special room tax fund. Their campaign was called "Penny for the Arts."

Councilwoman Lorie Zapf said the City Charter lists support for the arts as a core municipal function.

"It is an investment," Zapf said. "It's one of the few the city makes where we invest in something and get something in return."

Councilman Todd Gloria said support for the arts was important for a big city.

"Arts are not an elective," Gloria said.

The council members also supported a plan to dedicate $1 million to arts education programs in schools by 2017.

The commission reported that the arts generates $579.4 million of annual economic impact in the city of San Diego, supporting nearly 18,000 jobs. Its statistics showed that out-of-town guests who come for arts events stay an average of two days longer and part with twice as much cash as the average tourist.

-City News Service