The City of Buffalo Committee on Finance on July 29 took up requests from the Buffalo Arts Commission to begin distributing a newly appropriated arts fund, to fill advisory-board seats and to clarify enforcement of the charter’s 1% public-art requirements.

Alan Gerstmann, a member of the Arts Commission, said the commission welcomes a $200,000 line in this year’s budget to distribute to arts organizations and highlighted that the revitalized Arts and Cultural Funding Advisory Board will have 17 members: seven appointed by the council, six by the mayor, three by the Arts Commission and one by the comptroller. Gerstmann said the commission intends to use a streamlined application similar to the county’s to reduce burdens on small organizations.

Why it matters: The charter includes multiple provisions related to arts funding — an annual plan and budget submission, a 1% set‑aside of the total capital budget for acquisition and preservation of the city’s art collection, and a 1% set‑aside within capital projects for public art. Council members said earlier practice left those streams underused and that clearer processes are needed to ensure the funds reach small local arts groups.

Majority Leader Alton Pope and other council members said the Arts Commission did not submit an annual budget request to the council in advance and urged a formal RFP process and earlier engagement so the council can evaluate proposals before the budget is finalized. Pope and other members cited a 2023 correspondence from former assistant corporation counsel Karen Gordon that recommended the use of an RFP for cultural and anti‑violence funding solicitations.

Commission member Alan Gerstmann and Commissioner of Administration and Finance confirmed the commission’s support for an annual report, a clear waiver process for capital‑project art funding, and a long‑term plan for public art. Gerstmann said the commission put the request conservatively in the budget given recent city finances and emphasized that capital‑project art funding historically can be used for acquisition, preservation and public art integrated into capital projects.

The committee debated whether funds for cultural initiatives in the budget had been moved between lines without clear advance notice to the council. Council members asked that future budget proposals and reallocations be presented as formal proposals to the council so council members can respond to constituents and ensure transparency. The committee tabled the item for further conversation between the Arts Commission, the comptroller and council offices.

Ending: Council members asked the Arts Commission to submit a formal annual plan and RFP-ready materials and to coordinate with the mayor’s office, the law department and corporation counsel to ensure the commission’s requests are presented in a way the council can consider before budget adoption.