Normal’s Koos sees arts grant cutbacks as temporary

Posted on June 5, 2018

By Howard Packowitz

NORMAL – Normal Mayor Chris Koos said Monday he expects reduced public funding for the arts will only be temporary.

Koos made the comment after the town council awarded $25,000 in arts grants, shared by 18 organizations receiving between $600 and $2,000 for their various programs. A staff report said the town received a total of 28 grant applications for the Harmon Arts program, named for former Mayor Paul Harmon.

In previous years, the town handed out $50,000, but belt-tightening was necessary to cut the budget.

“We cut our budget by 50 percent to get us through a tough budget year,” said Koos.

“It made the grand awardings a lot harder. We had to be coming at it with a lot sharper pencil, if you will.”

Koos and Harmon were among four people who reviewed the applications, and made funding recommendations.

Koos said he’ll work to restore funding when the town’s in better financial shape.

“I’ll try and work to get that back in better budget years,” the mayor said.

“I look at it as a temporary adjustment of the numbers. Some great projects got funded, some new, some that we funded before,” said Koos.

Howard Packowitz can be reached at [email protected]

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