Volusia County Council deadlocks on reinstating $611,000 in cultural grants after weeks of public outcry

Public speakers and cultural organizations pressed the Volusia County Council on Tuesday to restore $611,000 in competitive cultural grants the council had previously placed in question, but the council did not approve any awards.

The council considered a motion to approve the list of current grant applicants, a package staff and the Volusia County Cultural Council had scored and recommended; the motion failed on a 4–3 roll call. The failure leaves the grant program’s future unresolved as the county moves into budget season.

The debate opened with residents and nonprofit leaders describing the economic and social return on the county’s small cultural investment. Cameron Vincent, executive director of Art House Foundation and vice president of the Volusia County Cultural Alliance, told the council that the $611,000 equates to “a dollar per person per year” and that the county’s analysis shows the grants return about $1.99 in local economic activity for every dollar invested.

“It's an investment that pays,” Vincent said, noting more than 2,300 residents had signed a petition asking the council to reinstate the funding.

Other arts leaders, including Patty Pardee, Craig Uppercue and Jason Perotti, outlined program-specific impacts: free and reduced-cost arts education for children, art-therapy programs for veterans and tourism-driven spending that supports downtown restaurants and hotels. “These organizations employ local artists, attract out-of-town visitors and support small businesses,” said Reverend Caitlin Swan, who described the grants as an economic, not charitable, investment.

Opponents framed the issue as county priorities and fiscal stewardship. At public comment, Keith Chester, a DeLand resident, urged the council to redirect funds to sidewalks and core infrastructure, calling for a dedicated program for road and sidewalk funding. Another commenter said taxpayers already shoulder heavy obligations and should not subsidize nonprofit operations from the general fund.

Council discussion focused on two practical questions: where the money should come from and whether the council should honor its recent change to the grant process. Councilmember David Santiago, who led the motion to approve the applicant list, said he felt politically and procedurally bound by the program the council adopted earlier this year and wanted to find an on-budget way to fund this cycle.

Councilmembers opposed to approving the grants from the general fund repeated concerns about priorities and argued that the council should not be deciding recurring operational grants from the county’s core budget now facing other pressures such as roads and stormwater. Several members asked staff to return in the budget cycle with options that would move cultural funding out of the general fund and into other mechanisms, including the ECHO (Environmental, Cultural, Historic and Outdoor) program or a voter-authorized vehicle.

A motion on the floor — to approve the recommended grants for this award cycle (total recommended $571,926, reflecting organizations’ scored recommendations and two applicants who withdrew) — was defeated 4–3. The clerk’s roll call recorded Don Dempsey, Troy Kent, Danny Robbins and Chair Jeff Brower opposed; Jake Johansen, Matt Reinhart and David Santiago voted in favor.

The council did not adopt an alternative funding plan at the meeting. Several councilmembers asked staff to return during the budget cycle with legally feasible options that could fund cultural organizations without using the county’s general operating fund, including whether ECHO-based or other voter-directed approaches could be adapted.

Supporters of the grants said they are already working to place funding on a ballot in a citizen-led process so the matter can be decided by voters rather than by the county’s operating budget. Opponents said they would prefer a targeted plan to fund roads, bridges and sidewalks.

The council’s failure to act leaves cultural organizations that had applied this cycle uncertain. Several nonprofit leaders said they had already adjusted budgets and cut programs in response to the earlier decision to pause awards.

The council will revisit the topic during budget hearings and will accept staff recommendations for alternatives to using the general fund for recurring cultural grant awards.