Council on the Arts
The enacted budget makes the following changes to the Executive Budget (analysis as of April 1, 2005):
· The Legislature denied the Governor’s proposal to transfer the State Library, State Archives, and State Museum to a public benefit corporation the New York Institute on Cultural Education (NYICE) and restored full funding for State Library, State Archives, and State Museum in the State Education Department’s (SED) budget. The funding that appears in Council on Arts’ budget for NYICE is a “null” appropriation because the Legislature did not enact the legislation necessary for it to be spent.
The Executive Budget recommends (analysis as of January 26, 2005 ):
- An FTE level of 455; this is an overall increase of 400 FTEs. All of this increase is due to the creation of the New York Institute for Cultural Education (NYICE).
- The Executive Budget once again proposes the consolidation of the State Museum, State Library, and State Archives, which are now part of the State Education Department (SED), into a new public benefit corporation called the New York Institute for Cultural Education (NYICE) on October 1, 2005. This would involve the transfer of 400 FTEs, including many PEF members. The Executive Budget does not indicate any specific savings or costs from this proposed transfer. It is unclear what mechanism will fund NYICE’s operations. Three years ago, the Governor proposed, and the Legislature agreed, to increase the surcharge for the recording, indexing, and certifying of records by county clerks, which already partially funds the operation of the State Archives. According to DOB, the increased surcharge was projected to raise $26 million. According to Assembly analysis this surcharge will now fund NYICE. However, the proposal essentially takes these entities “off-budget” and funds the new public benefit corporation with a lump sum $14 million appropriation with no detail on how much of these funds would be used for personal services, non-personal services and contractual expenses. Employees would be transferred from SED to the new public benefit corporation. These employees would remain State employees and maintain their current civil service and representational rights and privileges. The consolidation seems to be motivated by making these cultural entities directly accountable to the Governor rather than the Board of Regents, who are appointed by the Legislature and not the Governor. The Legislature has rejected similar proposals the last three years.
- Overall funding is increased by $20.1 million (243.1 percent). This is comprised primarily of the $19 million transfer associated with NYICE.
- Absent the transfer associated with NYICE, overall funding increases by $1,071,000 (13.0 percent). Nearly half of this is comes from a $455,000 (28.8 percent) increase in the NYS Theatre Institute Special Revenue Fund – Other.
- General Fund support is reduced by $1,755,000 (24.9 percent). This is due to a transfer of support for the Empire State Plaza Performing Arts Center Corporation (the Egg) and the New York State Theatre Institute (NYSTI) from the General Fund to Special Revenue – Other funds. Funding for those organizations is increasing – from $556,000 to $600,000 (7.9%) for the Egg and from $1,578,000 to $2,033,000 (28.8%) for NYSTI. According to Assembly analysis these funds are supported by dedicated revenues.
- An increase of $335,000 (10.6 percent) in personal services in the Administration Program. As there are no additional FTEs associated with this increase an explanation should be sought at Labor/Management.
- Article VII legislation provides for the creation of a new public benefit corporation, NYICE. NYICE would be governed by a 15 member board, with eight members appointed by the Governor, two each by the majorities in the Legislature, one each by the minorities in the Legislature, and one by the Board of Regents.
Council on the Arts
Program Details-State Operations
Enacted
Proposed
Enacted
Change in
Percent
Program
2004-05 Budget
2005-06 Budget
2005-06 Budget
Appropriation
Change
All Funds
$8,255,000
$28,326,000
$28,326,000
$20,071,000
243.1%
General Fund
$7,055,000
$5,300,000
$5,300,000
($1,755,000)
-24.9%
Special Revenue-Federal (SRF)
$800,000
$993,000
$993,000
$193,000
24.1%
Special Revenue-Other (SRO)
$400,000
$22,033,000
$22,033,000
$21,633,000
5408.3%
_
Administration
$6,121,000
$6,693,000
$6,693,000
$572,000
9.3%
Personal Service
$3,173,000
$3,508,000
$3,508,000
$335,000
10.6%
Nonpersonal Service
$1,748,000
$1,792,000
$1,792,000
$44,000
2.5%
Special Revenue-Federal (SRF)
$800,000
$993,000
$993,000
$193,000
24.1%
Special Revenue-Other (SRO)
$400,000
$400,000
$400,000
$0
0.0%
_
Council on the Arts Acct - (SRF)
$800,000
$993,000
$993,000
$193,000
24.1%
Personal Service
$542,000
$542,000
$542,000
$0
0.0%
Non-Personal Service
$0
$200,000
$200,000
$200,000
100.0%
Fringe Benefits
$218,000
$244,000
$244,000
$26,000
11.9%
Indirect Cost Recovery
$40,000
$7,000
$7,000
($33,000)
-82.5%
_
Combined Gifts, Grants & Bequest Fund (SRO)
$400,000
$400,000
$400,000
$0
0.0%
_
NYState Inst. For Cultural Educ.(SRO)
$0
$19,000,000
$19,000,000
$19,000,000
100.0%
_
Empire State Plaza Perform Arts
$556,000
$0
$0
($556,000)
-100.0%
_
Empire State Plaza Perform Arts - (SRO)
$0
$600,000
$600,000
$600,000
100.0%
_
NYS Theater Institute
$1,578,000
$0
$0
($1,578,000)
-100.0%
_
NYS Theater Institute - (SRO)
$0
$2,033,000
$2,033,000
$2,033,000
100.0%
The shaded area is reflected in the Council on the Arts totals, however these appropriations cannot be expended by the Council on the Arts as the statute to implement the mergers was not enacted by the legislature. Instead the legislation restored these monies to their original agencies.