Council resigns for libraries and refuses to freeze the arts



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Mayor Naheed Nenshi will sit in the chamber as councilors continue budget negotiations in Calgary on Wednesday, November 28, 2018. Darren Makowichuk / Postmedia

A few weeks after the opening of a new central library, Councilors voted in favor of a proposed reduction in the public library budget, while strengthening funding for the Calgary Public Arts Agency.

As deliberations on the next quadrennial city budget continued into a third day, councilors stepped up on Wednesday to cut spending on Calgary's arts and culture sector and libraries.

While the city is offering a $ 2.8 million boost to libraries, Coun. Ward Sutherland presented a notice of motion calling for the freeze of additional expenses. Sutherland argued that the library's budget had already been increased by approximately $ 7 million to accommodate the new central library, as well as new branches in Seton and Symons Valley.

"You have made a mbadive increase and you are not coming back with the efficiency of how you are going to run your business," Sutherland said Wednesday. "We ask each organization to tighten their belts."

Coun. Evan Woolley, who sits on the library's board of directors, objected Wednesday, saying he would not support a cut in operating funds for a space that Calgary residents are "falling in love with" .

"We can not open a new $ 245 million library and not have enough operating money to make it work," said Woolley. "It was an incredibly visionary decision from a previous board (of) to build this library. We must have enough people to handle it. It's a huge space.

Advocates at the library argued that additional funds were needed to deal with rising social disorder in various branches and to extend opening hours in popular branches.

The Council finally voted 10 to 5 in favor of the abolition of additional funds. Only Nenshi and Councilors Woolley, Druh Farrell, Ray Jones and Gian-Carlo Carra voted against the motion.

Mayor Naheed Nenshi described the council's decision as "bizarre", saying the decision was made without a clear idea of ​​how it would affect libraries.

"The Council felt wisely that it did not need extra money. I think in a way that the library is offering more and more services, but it's ultimately the board's decision, "said Nenshi.

Three other proposals to freeze or cut the arts budget failed Wednesday.

The city is proposing an additional $ 5 million in 2019 to the Calgary Arts Development Authority (CADA), raising the operating budget from $ 6.4 million to $ 11.4 million.

The increase in funding will allow Calgary to move from the lowest level of per capita artistic spending in the country after Winnipeg.

Coun. Sean Chu presented a notice of motion on Wednesday to eliminate the $ 5 million boost, saying the city should not subsidize artists.

"I'm not asking for a reduction, I'm just asking for no unnecessary increase during this economic period," said Chu. "We have to show the public and the thousands of people who have lost their jobs that we are serious."

Councilor Sean Chu will sit in the House as Councilors continue budget negotiations in Calgary on Wednesday, November 28, 2018. Darren Makowichuk / Postmedia

On Wednesday, a majority of council members opposed the proposal, with some suggesting that there is a "business case" for the arts, as the creative sector is seen as a way to diversify Calgary's economy and an important factor in attracting entrepreneurial talent to the city.

Others, including Nenshi and Carra, pointed out that cuts to the arts would mean minimal savings for the city, at a painful cost for arts organizations.

"It's crazy." With zeal to cut, you're going to the heart of the organization that's been frozen for nearly a decade and is the lowest in the country, "Nenshi said.

"This is a point where we have to put it in the base (operational) or they will come back here to ask for more money to prevent these fundamental (stone) organizations from going bankrupt, and I think that is totally untenable. Nenshi said.

The Council finally voted 10 to 5 against the proposal to freeze the CADA budget. Councilors Chu, Diane Colley-Urquhart, Jeromy Farkas, Shane Keating and Joe Magliocca also voted.

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Twitter: @mpotkkins

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