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Q&A
Discussion on baselining DCLA funding for cultural institutions
3:14:56
ยท
100 sec
Council Member Rivera inquires about baselining the $45 million one-time funding for DCLA secured in the previous year's budget. Director Jiha explains the challenges of baselining without a long-term funding stream but acknowledges the importance of arts to the city.
- Rivera highlights the annual struggle to secure funding for cultural institutions
- Jiha explains the difficulty in baselining funding without a long-term revenue source
- The importance of arts to New York City's status as a global cultural capital is emphasized
Carlina Rivera
3:14:56
For DCLA, I wanna get to arts and culture for a second.
3:15:00
Last year, the council was able to secure one time funding of 45,000,000 for DCLA at adoption of the fiscal twenty twenty five budget.
3:15:08
Every year, we fight to add this one shot to the budget, and we're successful.
3:15:14
To ensure that cultural institutions continue to serve as reliable community hubs and can provide needed programs and services to New Yorkers, will the administration baseline this funding so that we don't have to do the whole routine every single year?
Jacques Jiha
3:15:30
As I said earlier, I don't like the dance myself either.
3:15:37
It's a question of we have so many needs,
Diana Ayala
3:15:41
and
Jacques Jiha
3:15:43
if you don't have a long term funding stream, we cannot make a commitment to baseline an item.
3:15:50
So, we usually take a look at them, know, look at what our resources is.
3:15:55
We're gonna continue to work with you as we get closer to adoption, and to see what can the arts are very important to the city.
Carlina Rivera
3:16:03
Absolutely, I mean
Jacques Jiha
3:16:04
They're very important to the city, we realize their importance, and to the extent that we're going to do our best to provide them resources that they need to continue to be, to make New York City the center, the capital of the world.
3:16:17
And people come to New York because of what we do in terms of art and a lot of other things, but art is very critical.
3:16:24
So, we're gonna try our best, but again, the commitment to say, you know, we're gonna make a baseline $45,000,000, I have a lot of things that need to be baseline, so therefore it's a priority issue.