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Council hears appeals for LA Arts funding as staff outline proposed TIF salary allocations
Summary
LA Arts representatives requested $35,000 from the NECAAC/TIF account while city staff explained a proposed $604,000 TIF salary allocation; councilors asked for more detail on TIF balances and whether other nonprofits could qualify for TIF-funded contributions.
Representatives of LA Arts asked the Lewiston City Council to renew a $35,000 grant for programming and staffing support; staff said the request is included in a draft TIF-funded economic development budget line that also contains a proposed $604,000 payroll component.
Jim Perakilis, board chair of LA Arts, said the agency added a second part-time staff member in December and that the city grant is a core revenue source for programming that draws people downtown. "We're a very busy and very lean organization, and your support is really, crucial to us," Perakilis told the council. He and other LA Arts representatives supplied a letter and a fiscal packet during the workshop.
Nate Libby, Director of Economic and Community Development, described the broader TIF (tax increment financing) account plan the city staff prepared for the NECAAC/TIF area. Libby said the $604,000 figure in his packet represents the salary portion recommended for TIF funding (not including fringe or other program support). He stressed that the TIF plan will still need Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) approval and that the city will have to demonstrate that positions assigned to the TIF are engaged in eligible economic-development activities.
Councilors asked for more transparency on the TIF fund balance and how the city plans to allocate previously issued bond premiums and interest. Councillor Nejean pressed for a spreadsheet showing outstanding bond premiums and remaining encumbrances; Finance Director Tracy Roy said staff will provide an updated project-level summary showing original bond authorizations, spend-to-date and remaining balances. Libby said the draft budget shows a projected available TIF fund balance (city and tips aggregated) but that final numbers can shift after DECD rulings and assessment updates.
The council did not make a grant decision during the workshop; staff said LA Arts and the Downtown Lewiston Association (a proposed $20,000 donation line) will appear again at a May public hearing where final budget decisions are scheduled. Several councilors expressed support for LA Arts but also asked staff to confirm whether other nonprofit projects could qualify for TIF-supported donations under state guidelines.
What to watch: staff will provide a clearer TIF fund-balance spreadsheet, clarify which positions are proposed for TIF salary support and circulate LA Arts— full FY26 materials ahead of the May 6 public hearing.
