COSTA MESA : City Rescinds $75,000 in Grants for Art

The Costa Mesa City Council this week rescinded $75,000 in grants to city arts groups and slightly altered the wording of its controversial arts-grant guidelines.

In a 3-2 vote, council members took back the money, which had been earmarked for education and outreach programs. It would have brought city arts subsidies for this year to $250,000.

Voting for the repeal were council members Sandra L. Genis, Ed Glasgow and Mayor Mary Hornbuckle, who said Tuesday that severe budget problems have arisen since the council approved the $75,000 appropriation in September.

“Our income this year, particularly from sales tax, is down drastically,” Hornbuckle said. “It was not a matter of a change in attitude about funding the arts.”

Of the three, only Glascow had voted for the original appropriation. Genis had called it “rich folks’ welfare.”

The 12 arts groups that had expected the funds are “very disappointed” by the decision, according to Lori Houghton, chairwoman of the city’s Cultural Arts Committee.

“I think budget priorities can be influenced by voter input,” Houghton said. “I’d hope that the Costa Mesa citizens who are for public funding of the arts would find a voice.”

The council voted unanimously to alter the wording of its grant guidelines. As initially written, they banned the use of city money for “obscene matters,” “political campaigns” and “religious activity.” That exact language is deleted in the revised version, which nonetheless enforces the same restrictions by citing the state laws upon which each is based. City officials have maintained that the guidelines merely reiterate existing laws. But some in the arts community had criticized the guidelines as restrictive to free speech.

David Emmes, producing artistic-director of South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa, has said he thinks the revisions could still have a “chilling effect” on expression.

But Hornbuckle said “we’d expect (grantees) to comply with all the applicable (federal, state and local) laws, so we might as well say it in the grant contract and be upfront about it.”

The new guidelines state that any guideline violations will be determined only “by a court of law.” The American Civil Liberties Union had charged that the original policy left open the possibility that city officials would determine violations. ACLU officials could not be reached for comment.