Nonprofit agencies facing cuts

Arts agencies and tourist attractions in Hillsborough County are likely to take budget hits as city and county governments look for ways to offset budget shortfalls next year.

For the second year in a row, Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio plans to slash the city's funding to some local nonprofit organizations by as much as 20 percent.

Iorio said the cuts are needed to help avoid further layoffs and a reduction in services as the city whittles away at a projected deficit of more than $32 million in the 2011 budget.

The city expects to save about $500,000 from the reductions. In fiscal year 2010, the city gave about $2.3 million to nonprofit groups, $500,000 less than the previous year.

In her preliminary 2011 budget, Iorio recommends cutting 10 percent from nonprofit groups that use city-owned buildings, such as Lowry Park Zoo, The Florida Aquarium, the David A. Straz Jr. Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa Theatre and H.B. Plant Museum.

She also recommends cutting 20 percent from other nonprofit groups, including The Florida Orchestra and the Museum of Science & Industry.

The zoo stands to take another hit - of $283,500 now allotted by the county - but would still receive $100,000 in tourist development tax dollars, said Hillsborough County budget director Eric Johnson.

Under the county's plan, funding to the county-owned Museum of Science and Industry and the Tampa Bay History Center would not be cut, he said.

But the Arts Council of Hillsborough County, which received $809,000 this year, is on track to receive $487,000 next fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1, Johnson said.

County officials last year had anticipated ending the council's funding after this year. Instead, they are providing enough to cover administrative costs so the council can find other money sources, he said.

While recognizing that the economy makes it tough for groups to ask for money, the arts council's expected county funding is "dramatically better" than the full cut it was facing, he said. The arts council received almost $1.1 million in fiscal 2009 and more than $1.4 million in fiscal 2008.

The cuts are part of a plan to close a $65 million budget deficit.

Despite Tampa's financial woes, the city will provide funding to local nonprofits, said Santiago Corrada, Tampa's Convention Center, Tourism, Recreation and Cultural Arts administrator.

"We value the services they provide and don't want to cut them off completely," he said.

Iorio, who has met with representatives of the groups this week to discuss proposed reductions, is to present her budget to the council on Aug. 12 at 9 a.m. Public hearings will be at 6 p.m. on Sept. 15 and Sept. 29. The council must vote on a spending package by Sept. 30.

Public hearings on the county's 2011 budget will be at 6 p.m., July 15; Sept. 15 and Sept. 23 in the second floor boardroom of the Fred B. Karl County Center in Tampa.