Councillors confused about where new arts money is going

The new money in the city pipeline for arts, community festivals and services got stuck Friday at a meeting to discuss the proposed new grants.

Councillorson the city's grants committee said they felt uncomfortable with the level of information they had to approve more than $5 million in grants.

They requested documents clearly outlining how this year's proposed funding compares to last year's even though the fund is a new program this year so the comparison may not hold exactly. They also want to see a note aboutwhat grants were boosted or came entirely from the new $500,000 for arts and $250,000 for other categories the city allotted in March.

• Theatre Aquarius recommended for biggest boost in new arts fund
• City increases Hamilton artist grants for first time in 15 years

"My only issue is, we're giving out $5 million, and I don't want to do it on the fly,"Coun. Lloyd Ferguson said.Hesaid he needs to be able to understand and to defend where the money is being spent.

The committee took a 15 minute break to have finance staff run back to their office to print out a new spreadsheet, but even withthe new documents and yellowhighlightersin hand, thecouncillorsdecided to wait a week.

The grants come out of a total $5.4 million fund called the City Enrichment Fund that brings together several pots of money that were previously spread out.The overhaul was approved last year, and the city got 290 applications for funding total this year.There are four individual categories in the new fund:

• Arts
• Communities, Culture and Heritage
• Community Services
• Sports and Active Lifestyle

One of the sticking points in Friday's meetingwas where the new $750,000 is going the $500,000 for arts, and $250,000 to be split up across the other categories.In general, forany group getting more money than they did last year, or getting money for the first time, that money came from that additional pot, said city finance director John Hertel. ButFerguson wanted a specific note about what extra money came from the new boosted funding.

Theatre Aquarius is poised to receive the biggest jump in funding under the city's new strategy for funding arts. The theatre got about $74,000 from the city last year, but in new grants up for review Friday,staff are recommending a grant of $210,000.

The new fund alsoopened the doors to somenew applicants that haven't received funding before. One recommendation is for $48,000 for An Instrument for Every Child, a project of the Hamilton Music Collective. Another: Dusk Dances Hamilton, which city staffproposes giving $10,000 to. (See all of the proposed grants on the city'swebsite.)

The meeting will reconvene May 15 at 12 p.m., and could then move on to city council's audit and finance committee before a full council hearing later in the month. The week's delay will not affect the timeline.

kelly.bennett@cbc.ca| @kellyrbennett