Fulton County ponders decrease in arts funding

LaLa Cochran (left), Harold M. Leaver and Enoch King appear in “The Santaland Diaries,” a Horizon Theatre production. The theater recently sent an email warning that Fulton County is considering reducing financial support of arts organizations. Photo: Greg Mooney

LaLa Cochran (left), Harold M. Leaver and Enoch King appear in “The Santaland Diaries,” a Horizon Theatre production. The theater recently sent an email warning that Fulton County is considering reducing financial support of arts organizations. Photo: Greg Mooney

Fulton County arts organizations are sending out a call to action on threats of a proposed reduction in arts spending by the county.

In an email sent out Jan. 2 the Horizon Theatre said the proposed budget will get a vote Wednesday, Jan. 4.

“Fulton County has just released their proposed budget for 2017, and among the proposed appropriations, there is a cut to the budget for Contracts for Services for Arts and Culture from 1.5M to 1.37M,” read a communique from the Little Five Points theater.

"While the cut is small, cutting the budget for Contracts for Services does nothing to help organizations keep pace with rising costs in labor and rent that have grown within the county in the last few years," the email continued. The Horizon thanked the non-profit arts organization, C4 Atlanta, for reporting the information about the budget.

Darryl Carver, a spokesman for the county, said, in a prepared statement, “Fulton County continues to maintain an unparalleled commitment to funding of our arts partners through the Contracts For Services program. Our commitment during this budget cycle continues with a high level of funding to further demonstrate the contribution of the arts to our culture and our economy. No action has been taken as of yet on the Fiscal Year 2017 budget and key details of it still remain under discussion right now.”

The theater group urged its respondents to call their representatives and to attend the meeting.

The Fulton commissioners will meet 10 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 4, at the Fulton County Government Center Assembly Hall, 141 Pryor Street.

For more information: 404-612-8200; www.fultoncountyga.gov