By Joyce Kryszak
Buffalo, NY – Six anxious arts organizations are hoping that a contract is as good as a check in the mail.
A collective sigh of relief went up last week as six culturals have -- for now -- escaped another swing of the county budget axe. County contracts were sent to the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Albright Know Art Gallery, the Historical Society, the Science Museum, Studio Arena and the Buffalo Zoo. BPO Executive Director Dan Hart says it's a hopeful sign.
"Well, we have a contract, so, to the extent that is the gauge of whether it's going to happen or not," said Hart. "I think we have to take it at face value and we're processing it. we're just delighted that some level of funding was secured for the cultural organizations."
The six groups were spared under the last budget package approved by the Legislature, sharing $2.6 million. All other groups lost all county funding. But no one is sure if the limited cultural funding is secure. According to county officials, the contracts have a clause that could cancel the promise of funding. And a new round of budget cuts is bubbling under the surface of another multi-million dollar deficit. Legislator Lynn Marinelli says she will fight to preserve the funding.
"I don't want to sound the alarms at this point. I just want to underscore, let's be vigilant to the fact that there are still areas that may need to be cut," said Marinelli. "I, as a district legislator, am one who has been a strong advocate for the arts and cultural community -- based on what my constituency has told me -- and I will fight mightily to protect whatever kind of funding we can do from this level of government."
Officials say the first payments on the contracts should go out to the six groups within the next next month or so. But any money not in yet hand could, still be pulled away by the Legislature.