The Leon County Commission is following of the Community Redevelopment Agency’s plan for doling out more than $3-million for local arts and culture projects. The money is what’s left over from a tax meant for a performing arts center that was never built.
The CRA made a last minute change Monday that zeroed out one expected recipient and reduced the allocation for another by half. The process deciding how the money will be split has been controversial and County Commissioner Kristen Dozier says she’s frustrated.
“We are breaking down trust in a time when we are making so much progress rebuilding trust, building transparency and we all know that if we don’t work together we fail. I mean that’s it, the silos. We talk about that all the time,” Dozier says.
Tuesday the county affirmed the CRA decision to give nearly $200,000 to the John Gilmore Riley House, $1-million to Le Moyne Arts and $1.8-million to TLH Arts. The city commission must also vote on the allocations. That vote is scheduled for Wednesday. The city commission and CRA boards are made up of the same people.
