Putnam County lawmakers restore $13,993 for arts regrant program after public debate

Putnam County Rules Committee voted unanimously Monday night to move $13,993 from sub‑contingency back into the county budget to fund the Putnam Arts Council's community regrant program.

The action, approved by roll call vote during the committee's Feb. 17 meeting, restores a line in the county budget that the arts council uses to distribute small, project‑based grants to nonprofit arts groups across the county. Committee Chair Birmingham announced the vote after extended discussion and a half‑hour of public comment from arts groups and opponents.

The county's regrant program is administered by the Putnam Arts Council; Marybeth Becker, identified in committee as the council's regrant coordinator, described the process to legislators. "What we do is we create an independent panel that reviews applications that come into us," Becker said, explaining that panelists are primarily Putnam County residents and that awards are project‑specific rather than general operating support.…