Stockton Arts Commission schedules budget requests for $180,000 COLA adjustment, $50,000 mural program and staff study

The Stockton Arts Commission on Tuesday directed staff to place three budget-related action items on the commission’s next agenda: a request to increase the commission’s baseline grant budget to $180,000 to match inflation since the original $50,000 allocation, a separate $50,000 request to seed a mural program, and a staff study to determine the classification and cost of a dedicated city arts staff position.

The commission made the direction after several commissioners, the commission’s chair and city staff discussed the limited purchasing power of the commission’s original $50,000 allocation and the commission’s capacity to administer larger grant programs. Chair Dave LaFosse said, “Okay. So then on our next agenda, there will be an action item requesting to increase the current grant budget to 180.”

Why it matters: Commissioners said the current $50,000 annual allocation dates to the commission’s creation and no longer covers the same level of activity; the additional funds would be used for standard artist grants, a new mural program and potentially to fund dedicated staff time to manage the work. Commissioner Grant summarized the commission’s intent, saying the $50,000 “was what…