TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – Future funding for Tallahassee’s Council on Culture and Arts (COCA) is up in the air as Leon County Commissioners prepare to discuss the issue Tuesday afternoon.
COCA Executive Director Kathleen Spehar says the organization helps fund year-round programming across the community, including festivals, exhibitions, concerts, literary events, murals and sculptures around the county.
Spehar says COCA has served as the local nonprofit arts organization for Leon County and the surrounding area for 40 years. Now, she says they are asking for support from both the community and county commissioners after learning that an item on this week’s county commission agenda would eliminate all funding currently going to COCA.
County staff members are recommending transferring COCA’s grant programs from the organization to the county’s Division of Tourism.
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Spehar says if the funding goes away, it could devastate the organization, leading to layoffs and cuts to services because COCA relies heavily on county funding.
“The threat here is that this money would be removed from the year-round programming that not only adds tourism to the area but also builds infrastructure, builds economic impact,” Spehar said. “Our nonprofit sector alone, arts and culture, brings in $204 million a year of economic impact.”
Spehar says COCA helps generate that revenue and worries the proposed change could jeopardize it.
LeMoyne Arts President and practicing artist Dan Taylor says he also has concerns about what the possible change could mean for local artists.
“The demonstrated return on investment that we show that the arts funding does in our community is very impactful,” Taylor said.
Taylor says artists often rely on COCA for help navigating grant opportunities and other resources.
“I wonder what’s going to happen with the local artists like me, their ability to go to COCA and talk about how to apply for grants,” Taylor said. “There’s a myriad of things I think will change that I’m not sure people are necessarily thinking about.”
County staff recommends bringing the funding back under county control, saying it could help save costs and protect against future financial pressures.
The Leon County Board of County Commissioners is set to meet on Tuesday at 3 p.m. at the Leon County Courthouse.
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