Naperville candidates debate culture grants

Naperville City Council members will be asked in coming weeks to approve a list of grants for special events and cultural amenities for the new fiscal year.

A year ago, the council awarded $2.12 million to various groups from what’s called the Special Events & Cultural Fund, or SECA.

But several of the 11 candidates for four open city council seats in the April 5 election have different opinions on the future of the fund, which was created six years ago during better economic times.

Some candidates wholeheartedly support continuing the grants while others want to see cuts or changes to the funding structure.

Naperville offers the money, derived from a citywide 1 percent food and beverage tax, to assist 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.

Candidate Patty Gustin said she thinks the money is well spent for events such as Last Fling and Ribfest that, in turn, funnel proceeds back to charity. She joins other newcomers Wayne Floegel and Tiffany Stephens in saying they want to leave the fund alone.

“I think it’s a positive thing for the community,” she said. “I also think it draws people to the businesses in our community and then they come back to spend money again so I really think it’s a good generator and a positive thing for our community.”

Incumbent Grant Wehrli, meanwhile, said he’s concerned the city is too quick to award the grants and wants to apply some restrictions.

“SECA should continue but at 50 percent of the original 1 percent that’s being collected. It does go to good things that are part of the fabric of our community,” he said.

“We need to continue to look after those events and cultural amenities but it has gotten out of control,” Wehrli said. “We need to rein in this slush fund and make it more reflective of our community by supporting things that are true to us and not just spending money because we have it.”

Fellow incumbent Bob Fieseler agreed that the city could function with half of the fund.

“I think the amount the fund generates goes up every year. Half of the fund is probably enough to continue to do what we are in terms of the special events, the fees and the cultural amenities funding,” Fieseler said.

Challengers Steve Chirico, John Krummen and Joe McElroy also would vote to continue the fund, but only after a review of its revenue and expenditure levels.

“I do support it but I think it needs to be reviewed because it’s a way larger fund than they thought it would be. Cultural amenities, special events, art, music, all of these things are important to our community,” Chirico said. “That fund is up to well over $3 million a year and that’s excessive, especially in this period of time.”

McElroy said the city should take advantage of the fact that half the revenue comes from visitors to the city.

“Mend it. Don’t end it,” he said.

At least two candidates, incumbent Richard Furstenau and challenger Charlie Schneider, said they would prefer to eliminate the entire fund.

“I do not support the ongoing SECA fund. The SECA fund is a 1 percent tax that assumes everyone who eats in Naperville wants to be charged more,” Schneider said. “I prefer to give money to a charity of my choice and not have the government decide who is going to spend my money.”

Furstenau said his lack of support dates to the fund’s inception in 2005.

“You happen to be talking to a councilman who was here when we voted on that process and my vote was ‘no,’” Furstenau said. “And I said two things. Number one, ‘It’s going to raise too much money.’ and ‘We don’t need to spend that kind of money. Period.’ Both of them have come to happen.”