Tauranga Art Gallery trustees came to the Tauranga City Council this week seeking approval for a financial plan that has dropped its deficit from $200,000 to $80,000 and instead were sent away with a lengthy to-do list.
The council has already cut the budget for its own civic art collection and removed the inflation adjustment from the annual gallery grant.
Tauranga Art Gallery.
The civic art collection was costing $5762 each year, but the council reduced the amount to $3000 for the 2011/2012 year.
The gallery operating payment from council has been fixed since the 09/10 financial year at $847,000.
Adjusted for inflation of two per cent, the amount would be $899,267 for the 2011/12 year.
The Art Gallery Trust wants the inflation adjustment restored, which would bring it up to $917,252 for 2012/13 – and the inflation adjusted collection management payment to $3,123.
The gallery trust also wants more council help with building and property services, telecommunications, insurance and information technology.
The council already provides the gallery with accounting, HR and payroll services, which the gallery pays for.
The gallery is expecting to break even for the current financial year, an improvement over the $102,000 deficit that was predicted in the previous statement of intent.
However, the galley is expected to slide into deficit again next year, says trustee Gerald Gibbard.
The councillors want the gallery to look at setting up an endowment fund, they want the gallery to look at delaying the inflation adjustment until 2014, and look at the Western Bay of Plenty District Council and Bay of Plenty Regional Council for money.
The council is also looking at placing a councillor on the board similar to the other CCOs, and at the same time looking at changing the gallery's CCO status to reduce annual audit fees.
The demands prompted Gerald to say the council must also meet its responsibility to provide for the gallery on a sustainable basis, and that relies on a level of ratepayer funding.
'If that hadn't been there we would not have taken on that responsibility because the gallery would not be able to meet its responsibilities,” says Gerald.
'What we are doing is within the funding you provide, we want to make sure the gallery operates on a sustainable basis. We come to it as volunteers, we try to be responsible and we put in a lot of hours.”
Councillor Larry Baldock says the council is putting in close to a million dollars every year into the galley, and he didn't know if that was sustainable.
The Art Gallery Trust is required to consider the council's comments on its annual plan and deliver a completed statement of intent by June 30.
13 comments
Forgotten promises, no accountability
Posted on 25-03-2011 09:53 | By JSmithington
When this gallery was first proposed it was only going to cost the ratepayer a one-off $1 million. Next thing, it was just one more $1 million. Now it is nearly $1 million every single year. Now we have yet another ratepayer funded organisation just across the road costing goodness knows what every year. Now I notice that the commercial rate paying gallery next door has closed. So where is the accountability in all this? The whole fiasco should be handed back to those who wanted it and made those commitments. Let them sort it out, not the poor ratepayers.
Arty-farty
Posted on 25-03-2011 11:35 | By SpeakUp
Maybe we should mention here how many people Council supports with ratepayers' money to enjoy their full-time job looking after Tauranga's need for art: Fourteen persons FULL TIME in the art gallery and Creative Tauranga. How cute! Yes, one can say what one wants, but you have to acknowledge the creativity of Council to waste public funds. Crafty in fact. Disgustingly so.
Individual suggestions by Councillors
Posted on 25-03-2011 12:15 | By Murray.Guy
The suggestions made to the Art Gallery for consideration by them do not necessarilly reflect the opinion of all or the majority of elected members. Nothing more than individual comments from Councillors.
Another CCO
Posted on 25-03-2011 12:28 | By cinik
Council Compensates Oldboys. What do these 14 people do all day? Stare at the paintings? Wake up people of Tauranga, someone please organise a public meeting on TCAL, Art Gallery, Parking and how to hold the council accountable for their mismanagement of the city.
Rob
Posted on 25-03-2011 12:33 | By The author of this comment has been removed.
JSmithington is right on the button - this fiasco should be handed back to those who wanted it and let them get on with it - what an absolute rort the whole thing has been - typically someones 'I want' project with the poor locals having to stump up for their elitist desires.
To Murray Guy
Posted on 25-03-2011 12:53 | By cinik
It will cost the rate payer a minimum $847K plus the $3K for Mr Crosby to have a painting on his wall of self indolgence.
Too True
Posted on 25-03-2011 14:37 | By The author of this comment has been removed.
If you insist on playing the game by these rules - The game where you get to steal money from somebody else and then VOTE on what it gets spent on, then you should stop moaning when the biggest gang decide to spend YOUR money on something THEY want. I totally agree with J Smithington, but it never ceases to amaze me that you peaople are so outraged and surprised when this kind of behaviour continues to happen. Stuff like this will never-ever-never change or be any different so long as you continue with the GANG RULE theory (democracy) where Minorities have no rights (they get voted away by the majority). Remove council from all but the ESSENTIAL services, and let private enterprise provide these things free of charge and compulsion, and charge the going market price to WILLING and VOLUNTARY people who chose to use them. Before all that takes place you all need to take a lesson in the meaning of the words PROPERTY RIGHTS, and the rights of the individual - two important things missing from the curriculum of the child molesters of the mind (government-run education system) I could say "I told you so." but I would be wasting my time!
The Philistines are alive & well
Posted on 25-03-2011 17:40 | By Jenny Argante
and living in Tauranga. I never thought there'd come a day when I lived in a city that measured everything by its USEFULNESS and not by its WORTH. I don't want to be a hick in Hicksville. For me, civilisation and culture go hand in hand. There's a value in art, music, dance and aesthetics beyond what is measured in dollars and cents. It's been proved that people living in a run-down, unadorned and joyless environment lose drive and ambition. Productivity drops and creativity lessens. And creativity has a purpose; it's a problem-solving ability desperately needed to put the world to rights. Other cities manage to run themselves properly, pay good salaries. and provide art galleries, museums, events, performances, parks and statues. Their citizens work and play in a well-designed, busy and rewarding environment without moaning about a few dollars here or there on the rates bill. In Tauranga we flush singing birds from trees, keep treasures in the darkness and keep one hand over our pockets in case someone filches a cent from us unknowing. Take time out to study a painting, read a poem or listen to a song. You'll be surprised how it refreshes you, and how you return to work with renewed energy and enthusiasm.
The worst building in tga
Posted on 25-03-2011 23:03 | By Gringo
The gallery is ugly and represents the worst of modern design. It is symbolic of an era of reckless borrowing and decision making. Tauranga does not need this building or a public art gallery for a very small minority to think they enjoy. Complete and utter waste of money. If you desire culture and the arts get out there and create them not wander around some grotesque building in your black outfit
Jenny
Posted on 26-03-2011 09:17 | By Tony
Why do arts and crafts people call us names because we dont like what they like ?
Jenny's tactics typical
Posted on 26-03-2011 10:02 | By JSmithington
Sadly, Jenny's writings may sound so eloquent, but the facts speak differently. Just where is all the extra productivity and where are all the problem solvers that were going to flood into the city after we had an art gallery? If anything, it's gone backwards. At least two downtown art businesses have closed since both the Gallery and Creative Tauranga opened up their ratepayer backed operations. The puzzling thing is that Jenny and the arts set still choose to live here in Tauranga despite telling us of the virtues of living in other cities with their rewarding moan-free environments. My rates are about $2000 a year for a house that I worked jolly hard for. I obviously have to maintain it as well. I object to Jenny calling hard working people hicks who count every cent. In an ass about face world I'm mean because I don't want to pay for her arts. I see it the other way, they're greedy because they insist on the right to my money. I make the choice to whom I give. When I reward my creative instincts by going to arthouse movies at the cinema, I pay my own way and ask nothing of the arts ilk, let alone ratepayers. If those who want a gallery won't even pay an admission of a measly $5 to enter the door, I can't undertand why I should pay it for them through my rates. Perhaps Jenny and Gerald weren't around when categorical promises that ratepayers only need make a one off payment of $1 million were made. Creativity must not become a detractor from the basic value of honesty.
One of the Phils to Jenny
Posted on 26-03-2011 10:40 | By cinik
Why don't you let BOP FM operate from the Arts Gallery then, if music and dance are so important to you. At least that would put some life into the stuffy old building. Last time I was there I may as well had being looking in Bob Tullochs shop window. It's a joke, the yellow room is even worse. If that is what you call art and culture to inspire the workers it's a wonder they go back to work at all. Take off your Gold Coloured Glassess and take a real look.
@ Jenny
Posted on 26-03-2011 12:52 | By SpeakUp
Jenny, all well and good, I can appreciate your quest for culture and am fully aware of its societal benefit and need. Personally I am an avid supporter and performer of art in many forms myself. We, who demand to stop the theft of private and public money and to stop the impoverishment of a whole city, are not against art and culture. However, financial support for art should not be taken to this extent from ratepayers. It is simply not right to demand private property to subsidize 14 full time art managers, especially if that involves placing this and future generations into further debt. Grants, donations, one-off support and ‘a few dollars' you mention would not receive critique, but ongoing funding with this lavish staffing is simply cronyism and parasitism. Where are all the artists who made it? Why don't they feel responsible to share their sometimes considerable funds to fund an art galley? I tell you why: because many true artists despise the ‘arty crowd elite', sipping Sauvignons at vernissages, behaving erudite, exuding taste, appearing important and wanting to be seen. THAT is what I call Hicksville attitude, including your black and white analysis.
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to make a comment.