Why Naperville has threatened to withhold Century Walk funding

The Century Walk art group must agree to financial audits and other conditions if organizers want to receive future funding approvals from the Naperville City Council.

In 2021, the city council narrowly approved a three-year agreement to designate $100,000 annually for Century Walk art projects. An additional $50,000 per year was earmarked for maintenance.

But at last week's city council meeting, several council members said Century Walk received the first year's funding in 2022 despite failing to adhere to key elements of the agreement, including submission to an audit.

The city council voted last week to make the audit and other stipulations requirements for future funding, including in 2023.

Century Walk President Brand Bobosky, however, resisted calls for an audit. He said it was unfair to single out the group among the other organizations receiving similar funding.

"I wonder why we are the only city obligation that has to go through what is requested of this agreement and further additions that are being made," Bobosky said. "There are certainly other organizations there ... I don't believe they go through anything like we're being asked to do.

"We're not going to agree to an audit. As far as paying bills, we'll show you our financials. But we're not going to have some outside party audit them."

Several council members pushed back at Bobosky's stance, saying the audit requirement was clear in the initial agreement, and any future funding should be dependent on an audit.

"We're all involved in nonprofits all over the city of Naperville, and everyone gets an audit," Councilwoman Nicki Anderson said. "No matter how small or how large, they have an outside company come in and do a full audit."

In addition to the audit, the agreement approved last week stipulates Century Walk use the funding for capital only and not salaries or other expenses. Funds would be restricted to art on city-owned property and be distributed as reimbursement instead of being prepaid. Also, a city council liaison needs to be added to the Century Walk board to provide financial oversight.

As part of the 2021 agreement, Century Walk funding became a city obligation, similar to funding for the DuPage Children's Museum and the Naperville Municipal Band.