On the agenda for next month’s Commission voting session is a measure creating an Athens Cultural Affairs Commission. A couple of provisions that will have the net effect of driving up costs for the taxpayer are of particular interest to me:
Sec. 1-25-5. Funding for Public Art Program
Upon adoption of the annual General Capital Budget, the Mayor and Commission of the Unified Government shall appropriate one percent of the value of all approved projects in the Capital Budget excluding land purchases, leases, finance cost, and projects categorized as “Equipment”, to the Public Art Project Account. This account shall be a multi-year account used for the design, fabrication, installation, maintenance and implementation of community public art projects recommended by the ACAC and approved by the Mayor and Commission. In addition to the above noted capital funding for public art, the ACAC may submit to the Unified Government an annual operating budget request to further support its ongoing efforts to promote a public art program and other cultural community initiatives.
Sec. 1-25-6. Additional Funding for Public Art.
The Mayor and Commission shall identify projects within all Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax programs, beginning with the SPLOST 2011 program, that are appropriate for the inclusion of public art elements as integral parts of the project construction and appropriate not less than one percent of the project’s actual construction contract for the purpose of funding public art elements for those specific projects. The public art appropriation shall be maintained as a separate item in the project budget. The ACAC shall assist the Unified Government in the selection, development and implementation of these art projects as noted in Sec. 1-25-4.
Congratulations to the Western Circuit’s Steve Jones on his appointment to a Northern Circuit of Georgia federal judgeship. Though we have met a few times, I really do not know him in any meaningful sense – but his reputation is an enviable one. I wish him well.
I still think that the overriding consideration in anything John Barrow does is staying in office – period – no matter to whom he has to sell his soul.
1 comment:
Jones is nice enough, but he ran his courtroom just like any other judge. I think it is remarkable that his original appointment was made because of the color of his skin -- and so, too, was the Obama appointment made. Jones, notwithstanding, there were plenty of other qualified candidates passed over because they were white and we need to be 'diverse.'. So my congratulations is somewhat tempered. For Jones, though, must be nice to have black skin and average judicial experience right about now in history, huh?
Post a Comment