Two Brevard commissioners want board to reconsider votes that rejected arts funding

Two Brevard County commissioners want the full commission on Tuesday to reconsider previous votes that rejected proposed grants for 25 arts and cultural organizations and rejected renewal of an annual contract with the Brevard Cultural Alliance.

Meanwhile, a third commissioner wants to revamp the Space Coast Office of Tourism grant process to combine what had been three grant programs into one.

District 2 Commissioner and Vice Chair Tom Goodson is asking the Board of County Commissioners to reconsider its Aug. 8 unanimous vote to not award $530,000 in cultural support grants for the coming year. The advisory Brevard County Tourist Development Council and its Cultural Committee previously had unanimously recommended grant awards ranging from $15,000 to $25,000 apiece for 25 arts and cultural organizations and events.

Impacts on cultural organizations: Fallout from Pridefest controversy harms other Brevard cultural groups

Separately, District 5 Commissioner Jason Steele wants the commission to reconsider its 3-2 vote on Aug. 22 to not renew the county's professional services contract with the Brevard Cultural Alliance for the 2023-24 budget year that begins Oct. 1. The Tourist Development Council and its Cultural Committee had unanimously recommended renewing the contract, in the amount of $212,160. Steele is now proposing a three-month "exit contract" for BCA in the amount of $53,040, representing 25% of the proposed amount, as a way to give the BCA more time to work out its future finances and programming.

Funding for both the cultural grants and the BCA contract comes from revenue generated by Brevard County's 5% tourist development tax on hotel rooms, vacation rentals and other short-term rentals. In their previous votes, commissioners directed that the money instead go toward the Space Coast Office of Tourism's marketing budget to help pay for ocean lifeguards, as well as for marketing efforts to promote to tourists that Brevard's beaches are protected by lifeguards and safe.

In another twist to the Office of Tourism grant process, District 3 Commissioner John Tobia is proposing that the County Commission consider combining funding for the Brevard Cultural Alliance, cultural grants and two other grant programs ― those for "major events" like air shows and large festivals and for sports events ― into a single Office of Tourism marketing grant program funded by the tourist tax. He plans to discuss his proposal at Tuesday's commission meeting.

Among the points Tobia wants commissioners to consider are what the grant recipients could use the money for; the total budget for the program; the maximum amount for individual grants; the guidelines for setting the grant amount based on event attendance, room nights of rentals generated or other factors; the frequency of grant award decisions; and the committee process for making grant recommendations.

He proposes that the new program begin as early as the 2023-24 budget year, and that any funding for this program not negatively impact money earmarked for ocean lifeguards.

Both Goodson and Steele will face hurdles in even getting their proposals to a vote at Tuesday's meeting. Under Robert’s Rules of Order ― which governs procedures at County Commission meetings ― a motion to reconsider may be made by a commissioner who voted on the prevailing side of the previous motion. But that motion must be made at the same meeting that the initial vote took place, and typically is not available at a subsequent meeting.

Photo gallery of arts funding debate: Brevard County Commission Meeting During Cultural Arts Issue

So Goodson and Steele would have to get a majority of the five-member commission to agree to suspend Robert's Rules so their agenda items could be considered. Additionally, Goodson and Steele were on the losing end of the 3-2 vote to reject the BCA contract. So, under Robert's Rules, Steele could not have made a motion to reconsider anyway.

Cultural contract rejected: Divided County Commission votes against renewing Brevard Cultural Alliance contract

Under guidelines previously approved by the County Commission, applicants for cultural grants must draw at least 1,000 out-of-county visitors for their event or season to be eligible for a cultural support grant. Applicants drawing 1,000 to 2,500 out-of-county visitors are eligible for $15,000 grants; those drawing 2,501 to 5,000 out-of-county visitors are eligible for $20,000 grants; and those drawing 5,001 or more out-of-county visitors are eligible for $25,000 grants.

The idea of the cultural grants is to help boost the number of out-of-county visitors coming to Brevard, who will stay at local hotels, eat at local restaurants and patronize other local businesses.

These 13 applicants were the recommended for $25,000 grants:

• American Police Hall of Fame

• Brevard Symphony Orchestra

• Cape Canaveral Lighthouse Foundation

• Cocoa Beach Main Street

• Henegar Performing Arts Center/Brevard Regional Arts Group

• Historic Cocoa Village Main Street

• Historic Cocoa Village Playhouse

• Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts

• Melbourne Main Street

• Museum of Dinosaurs and Ancient Cultures

• Titusville Playhouse

• U.S. Space Walk of Fame Foundation

• Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum

These five were the recommended for $20,000 grants:

• City of Palm Bay

• Florida Surf Museum/Surfing Santas

• Harry T. & Harriette V. Moore Cultural Complex

• Native Rhythms Festival/Native Heritage Gathering

• Space Coast Symphony Orchestra

These seven were the recommended for $15,000 grants:

• Field Manor Foundation

• Green Gables at Historic Riverview Village

• Melbourne Art Festival

• Melbourne Municipal Band Association

• Space Coast Art Festival

• Space Coast Pride

• Surfside Playhouse

There was speculation in the arts community that the proposed funding for the Space Coast Pride's Pridefest event in downtown Melbourne helped trigger opposition to the overall cultural grants program. Space Coast Pride is a LGBTQ community organization, and met the requirements for a $15,000 grant, but came under fire on social media from Florida Rep. Randy Fine, who criticized the "Drag Queen Story Time" event that has been held at previous Pridefest events.

County commissioners deny that Pridefest played any role in their vote to not fund cultural grants for 2023-24. County Commission Chair Rita Pritchett pointed out at the Aug. 22 meeting that she had advised BCA officials a year ago that they should pursue funding from Brevard's cities and towns, to help wean them off county funding, but the BCA had not done so.

The BCA is Brevard County's designated local arts agency. Its work includes promoting arts and cultural organizations and their events through traditional media, social media and websites; helping those organizations apply for state and foundation grants; coordinating art-related education programs in local schools; holding arts-focused programs for the community; and coordinating an Art in Public Places program. The BCA also has administered Brevard's cultural grants program.

The $204,000 the BCA received under the county contract for the 2022-23 budget year that ends Sept. 30 represents about 43% of its total budget of $476,515.

Other sources of BCA funding include state grants; membership fees; event sponsorships and admission charges; and payments from companies for the use of art to display at their businesses.

Dave Berman is business editor at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Berman at dberman@floridatoday.com, on X at @bydaveberman and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dave.berman.54

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Two Brevard commissioners: Reconsider rejection of arts funding