CREATIVE ECONOMY

This monthly Creative Economy meeting will host a panel discussion on the financial future of the Creative Economy - “Funding Strategies for Arts and the Creative Economy”.

The panel - Sacramento Mayor, Darrell Steinberg, Julie Baker, Executive Director of Californians for the Arts and Dennis Mangers, Strategic Advisor to the Mayor. Moderated by Bill Blake, former managing director of B Street wit ha Q&A session.

All interested members of the public are invited with free parking. Held at The Atrium, a Creative Innovation Center for Sustainability, where creative individuals come together to use their creativity for the common good.

For more information - Maya Wallace created #SAVESACARTS

Why is this meeting so important?

SACRAMENTO CITY MANAGEMENT CUTS ALMOST ALL FUNDING FOR ARTS, CULTURE AND ARTS EDUCATION FROM PROPOSED 2019/20 CITY BUDGET. CURRENT PROPOSAL ROLLS BACK FUNDING FOR THE ARTS TO 2007 LEVEL.

The head of the City’s Convention and Cultural Services Department collaborated with her staff, produced a budget proposal for FY 2019/20 and forwarded it to the City Manager as directed. She proposed an allocation of $760,000 for next year which represents only the restoration of the .5 % of the TOT (Transient Occupancy Tax) taken from her department during the last recession.

But, as she reported to Commissioners at the recent meeting of SMAC, the City Manager denied even this modest request and informed her that any funding for the implementation of the Creative Edge would have to be secured through the competitive Measure U Committee process.

The $500,000 one-time allocation directed to the department by the Mayor as he assumed office was not renewed by the City Manager and with the imminent separation of SMAC from the County, another $400,000 is likely to be lost as well. BOTTOM-LINE, if the city arts budget for next year remains as proposed by the City Manager, there will be no money for grants to artists and non -profits working with kids in our underserved neighborhoods, there will be no money for the next phase of the Creative Economy Pilot Program, there will be no money for arts education and no hope of implementing the objectives of the recently adopted cultural plan!

We hope you find that as unacceptable as we do and will join us in demanding a different outcome.

The timeline for budget consideration is as follows:

April 23- 2019/20 proposed budget released by City Manager

April 30- Proposed budget reviewed by the Budget and Audit Committee (Entire City Council) BE THERE!

May 14- Proposed budget overview of smaller department budgets by Council. BE THERE!

May 21- Council budget hearings 2 and 5 PM. BE THERE!

May 28- Budget hearing if needed. BE THERE!

June 4- Proposed budget approved by the Budget and Audit Committee. BE THERE!

June 11- Approval of budget by the city council. BE THERE!

Our first advocacy steps should be as follows and should commence as soon as possible: Call the City Manager’s office at 916-808-7488 to protest the proposed zero budget for the arts and support the 2.2 million alternative. Also, email him at hchan@cityofsacramento.org and copy Assistant City manager for Economic Development, Michael Jasso at mjasso@cityofsacramento.org.

Call the Mayor’s office at 916-808-5300, again protesting the proposed zero budget for arts and lobbying strongly for him and the council to embrace the 2.2-million-dollar alternative. Go online to the City website, click on the mayor’s office and fill out the form.

Copy emails or generate specific and personalized ones to all council members and call their offices:

District 1- CM Angelique Ashby 916-808-7001, aashby@cityofsacramento.org

District 2- CM Allen Warren 916-808-7002, awarren@cityofsacramento.org

District 3- CM Jeff Harris 916-808-7003, jsharris@cityofsacramento.org

District 4- CM Steve Hansen 916-916-808-7004, shansen@cityofsacramento.org

District 5- CM Jay Schenirer 916-808-7005, jschenirer@cityofsacramento.org

District 6- Vice-Mayor Eric Guerra 916-808-7006, eguerra@cityofsacramento.org

District 7- CM Rick Jennings 916-808-7007, rjennings@cityofsacramento.org

District 8- Cm Larry Carr 916-808-7008, lcarr@cityofsacramento.org

Please circulate this ALERT to all individuals, and organizations in the arts, culture and creative economy sector and allies. All staff, board members, subscribers, patrons, etc. should be urged to make these calls and send emails. Let them know we will be organizing interested parties to go to the city hall for personal meetings with mayor and council and attending and speaking at City council meetings.

Many worked hard for two years on former Mayor Kevin Johnson’s “For Art's Sake” initiative only to find at the end that the City was not prepared to provide any resources to fund its recommendations. For the last two years, hundreds of us participated in the Creative Edge cultural planning process and strongly supported Measure U having been told that this time things would be different

The economy is strong, and revenues are high. If they do this now, what will they do when the inevitable recession hits.? The arts are a core city service, every bit as important as police, fire, public works, parks or any other sector of city responsibility. Creative Arts Heals.

WE MUST ALL COME TOGETHER TO CREATE A CREATIVE FORCE, ONE THE CITY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PUSH TO THE SIDELINES AGAIN.