CALGARY – The City of Calgary won’t be making any changes to public arts funding next year.
On Monday, city councillors voted 9-5 against a motion asking for the city to suspend the public art program in 2015.
The motion was put forward by Ward 14 Councillor Peter Demong as a potential way to curb spending in light of dropping oil prices, and would’ve required ten votes to pass.
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Right now, one per cent of each city project over $1 million is budgeted for art, which Demong pegged at $4 million in 2015.
“To me it was a prudent fiscal suggestion; obviously council didn’t agree with me,” said Demong Monday.
The city’s mayor said an economic downturn is no reason to freeze infrastructure projects, or the art that goes with them.
“If there are additional things that we get as a result of a slowing economy, or it’s time to catch our breath, we will grab them,” said Mayor Naheed Nenshi. “But that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t be moving full steam ahead on infrastructure projects, because we are way behind. So we should be using this time to catch up.”
For more information on the city’s Public Art Program, visit the City of Calgary’s website.
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