FY Miami-Dade County 2024-2025 County Arts Budget News

 

Dear Colleagues,

The Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners held its 2nd and final County Budget Hearing yesterday, Thursday, September 19th . At the outset of the budget hearing, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava again noted her support for the cultural grants budget as she did during the 1st Budget Hearing earlier this month. In her remarks, the Mayor thanked all the residents that participated in the budget process to make their voices heard and announced that in response she has reprogrammed funding to address some of the priorities expressed by the public including the arts.

In addition to the almost fifty civic, business and cultural leaders who spoke to request restoration of the cultural grants, more than a dozen artists and cultural executives sent in written testimonies that were read into the record in support of the arts.

The Commission voted to approve the FY 2024-2025 County Budget including a partial restoration of $1.5 million to the Department’s grants budget to help bridge the $2.479 million gap in the Department’s grants and programs budget due to lower than anticipated Tourist Development Tax revenues.

Mayor Levine Cava reported that a private sector campaign that she helped initiate has raised $400,000 toward helping restore the remaining gap of $1 million for the grants programs. Our staff will be directly in touch with you over the coming weeks regarding the impact of the approved grants budget. The Mayor and Board of County Commissioners understand the essential role of the arts in Miami-Dade County and they know that every dollar is critically important to your success.

During the budget discussion, Commissioner Raquel Regalado expressed her support of the arts community and thanked Mayor Levine Cava and the administration for working to find additional revenue to fund the Department of Cultural Affairs’ cultural grants.

The Cultural Affairs Council, chaired by Brian May, recognizes the outstanding work of our cultural community and continues its stalwart support of and advocacy to advance the outstanding work of Miami-Dade County’s nonprofit arts organizations and artists.

As another wonderful cultural season begins, please know that the staff and I are here to support you!

Marialaura Leslie
Director
Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs

 

 

Photo Credit: FF16

Date Posted: September 20, 2024