Naperville mayoral candidates worry about culture funding

All three Naperville mayoral candidates say the city is wrong to skim money from its Special Events and Cultural Amenities fund to bolster other parts of its budget.

The city already has agreed to take roughly $700,000 from the $3 million earmarked for cultural activities in the coming fiscal year to fill budget holes elsewhere.

Since 2005, Naperville has offered the money, derived from a citywide 1 percent food and beverage tax, to help eligible organizations pay for new and continued cultural experiences. The money has been used in a variety of ways, ranging from assistance to the DuPage Children’s Museum to funding for the Century Walk public art project to offering assistance for community festivals.

A year ago, the council awarded $2.12 million to various groups and the 2012 recommendation is likely to be about the same.

Mayor George Pradel said he believes the entire $3 million should be spent on cultural events it was designed to support.

“I think SECA was started with a purpose to (support) culture in Naperville and I think it should stay that way,” Pradel said. “Although we have taken some liberties with it, we need to not take away from it. We should really leave it the way it is.”

Councilman Doug Krause, who is one of two people challenging Pradel in the April 5 election, said transferring SECA money to the general fund to balance the city’s budget is cheating.

“The purpose of SECA was established because the taxpayers were paying for the (Naperville) Municipal Band. You’re paying for Ribfest, Last Fling, the (Naperville) Art League and just a plethora of places,” Krause said.

“We decided to increase the food and beverage tax 1 percent and last year it generated $2.9 million. It’s very successful but you have to remember 60 percent of that money comes from people who do not live in the city,” Krause said. “So they are providing the funds necessary to sponsor and take these events off our tax rolls.”

“You should not be diverting that money. If you want to raise taxes then go ahead and raise taxes,” Krause said. “Don’t be trying to take it from one piggy bank and try to say ‘I’m balancing the budget.’”

Kenn Miller, the second councilman challenging Pradel, said he wasn’t in office when the culture fund was established.

If he was on the council at that time, he said, he would have voted against it.

“If we wanted to, as a city, contribute to some nonprofits for events, amenities, or art we should do that. But now the fund has grown to be $3 million and we have projects chasing money,” Miller said. ”I am totally in disagreement with taking any percent of the SECA fund and transferring it to the general fund. That is not the general purpose of the SECA fund to begin and I think it is disingenuous for the city to do that. If we want to increase another tax to get those funds, that would be fine.”

Council members are expected to discuss the recommended fiscal 2012 SECA awards on March 29 and formally approve them in April.