Last night, after hearing reassurances from the city treasurer that the City was not on the brink of bankruptcy, the Common Council Finance Committee decided how they would divvy up the $30,000 designated in the city budget for community festivals and events.
Here is what was decided:
- Hudson Hall/Hudson Jazz Festival--$5,000
- Flag Day--$5,000
- Sankofa Black Arts & Cultural Festival--$3,000
- Hudson Festival Orchestra--$3,000
- Waterfront Wednesdays--$3,000
- OutHudson Parade--$3,000
- Bindlestiff Family Cirkus--$2,000
- Hudson Film Festival--$1,500
- Hudson Family Reunion--$1,000
- The Hudson Eye--$1,000
- Diata, Diata--$1,000
- FASNY/Dalmatian Day--$800
In all, $29,300 was designated to the various events, leaving $700 in case a worthy event missed the deadline.
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Bread and circuses. Nero fiddles while Rome burns. I'm overwhelmed by the referential nature of this post.
ReplyDeleteBut all classics education detritus aside, immediately after a sobering lecture from the treasurer, the committee doles out $30k in dribs and drabs for nothing that will boost lodging tax revenues. Once again, the council members fail to grasp the import of what they're being told and behave with reckless abandon.
What the hell is a Hudson Family Reunion and why does it require $1k of taxpayer money? Would it not happen without the $1k? The way to save money is not to spend it.
Well, I gave it my best last year and tried to convince Tom and Kamal to do away with this pointless event budget and give the $30k to the CAC so that they can plant trees instead. I failed.
DeleteI agree that these events do nothing to lure anyone to Hudson.
I hate jazz! Where is the free money for the rock and roll festival? Where have all the rockers gone? Oh yeah, they couldn't afford to live in Hudson anymore; they're all gone! Hail hail rock and roll!
ReplyDeleteAnd yet, despite featuring the bougiest crowd imaginable, that Jazz festival apparently still needs $5k in grants.
DeleteI couldn't agree more, Tass!
DeleteA display of couthiness ...
ReplyDeletethe biggest event to draw in outsiders is Winter Walk - why no $ appropriated for this s/b questioned.
ReplyDeleteWinter Walk has been taken over by the Foundry at Hudson, a Galvan enterprise. The simple answer to your question is they didn't apply.
DeleteWhether or not the city can/should/how fund these events is a worthy conversation that deserves more time than this. It should also be names “arts & culture grants” or something since they aren’t events that draw visitors, and that may be ok. This is just the last vestige of the Tourism Board that was created to decide what to do with the lodging tax revenue and how to continue to bring in visitors and revenue. Shortly after, a new regime was elected that probably despises tourism, and possibly local businesses, and thus kneecapped the Board’s mission, gave the money to friend’s pet projects, and then disbanded the board, clawing back most of the money to the general fund. This is now just the crumbs that are left.
ReplyDeleteWhich brings me to the question I will ask again: What happened to the Lil’ Deb’s mobile stage trailer!?!?! One of the greatest unsolved mysteries of modern Hudson.
This has nothing to do with the Tourism Board. The Council handouts have been a fixture in the city for longer than the lodging tax. Not that they've ever really done anything for the city, unlike the lodging tax.
DeleteFair enough, but weren’t these handouts routed though the Tourism Board during their short lifespan? Hence the convoluted messaging around that they are to promote visitation?
DeleteOh , come on guys. $30,000 is a drop in the bucket. Funding programs for the people who live in Hudson is a good thing.
ReplyDeleteI agree. That’s why I think these grants should be renamed to better fit their purpose and a dedicated ad hoc committee that can meet once or so a year to better decide how they are distributed.
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