Bad news is, that's down 23 percent from the current budget. Other bad news is, no money for the Cultural Facilities Fund.
Here's the release:
GOVERNOR APPROVES $9.7 MILLION APPROPRIATION FOR MCC
(Boston, MA) Governor Deval Patrick today signed a state budget that calls for an appropriation of $9.7 million for the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) in fiscal year 2010, which begins July 1. This represents a 23.4% reduction from the 2009 appropriation of $12.65 million.
The $9.7 million figure matches the amount ultimately recommended by the Senate last month. The Senate Ways & Means Committee initially called for a 57% cut to the MCC, but the full Senate restored some of that funding after approving an increase in the state sales tax. The agency's budget will be reduced to roughly half the level that it reached at the beginning of this decade.
"Continued investment in our cultural sector is critically important this year, particularly as so many organizations continue to feel the effects of the economic downturn,” said MCC Executive Director Anita Walker. “Even at a reduced level, MCC funding will help maintain jobs and drive tourism in the Commonwealth.”
The MCC’s Board is now scheduled to meet August 25 in Gloucester to determine spending plans for its core grant programs to nonprofit cultural organizations, communities, schools and artists.
As expected, the budget does not include an appropriation for the Cultural Facilities Fund (CFF). This past year, CFF grants were supported through a $6.5 million appropriation from the Legislature, and $7 million from a state bond approved by the Governor. A bill approved last year by the Legislature authorized the Governor to invest up to $50 million in CFF through bonds over five years, providing a potential source of future funding for this program.
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