Arts Money Trouble: Is Our Budget Cut Uncle Sam’s Windfall?

State funding for the arts has been cut almost in half since last year. Now, an unexpected predicament has surfaced. What happens to money that was originally allotted as matching grants from the federal government? Must it be given back to the Feds, or can it be redistributed for use in the state? With bated breath, Dr. Allyson Brooks, director of the Washington State Archaeology and Historic Preservation Office, waits for the governor’s answer.

Starting July 12, thousands of state workers will be required to take ten days’ furlough (time off without pay). “If you furlough money that’s already in the bank, what do you do?” asks Brooks. “The Government Office of Financial Management is supposed to be issuing guidelines. Are they going to ask us to write a check to the federal government for $21,000? Can I reprogram the money to some other use or do I have to give it back?” She can think of better alternatives: use the money in another year, say, or give it to Tacoma to do a survey of historic properties. “My concern is, how do we assist local governments? I know I’m not the only agency which has this problem.”

“I’m going through each agency that’s given us a scenario one by one,” says Office of Financial Management spokesman Glenn Kuper, “and coming up with a solution that works best for the agency, the public and the Feds. Some agencies do work first and bill the government – they simply bill the Feds for one less day. Another way it could be dealt with is a person might take a furlough day off, then work a Saturday.” That way, the Feds would get the work they paid for, without messing up the state’s plan to organize efficient furlough days for agencies. “Archaeology gets paid a grant by the Feds to do a certain amount of work. If they complete it, they get to keep it. It’s also possible the Feds will allow [them] to work out an extension.”

“We’re all on hold,” says Brooks. “I assume they have to make a decision by July 12.” •