Arts a Bright Spot as Northville City Budget Process Moves Into High Gear

While the city of Northville is struggling to maintain services with less staff and numerous revenue challenges, not everything is doom and gloom.

With events like Art in the Sun and the summer concert series, the city’s arts community is actually thriving, Arts Commission Treasurer Gerry Culpepper told the City Council on Monday night. He noted that the future looks even brighter with the upcoming establishment of the Friends of the Art House nonprofit organization.

“It’s an opportunity to receive additional funding not available through the city,” Culpepper said. “Organizations like the Kresge Foundation only give to nonprofits. With the 501(c)(3) status, we’ll be able to bring more funds in.”

Monday marked the council’s second budget-study session. A third and final study session will be held April 25, with a public hearing to follow on May 5. If all goes as planned, the council will vote on adopting the budget on May 16. Fiscal year 2011-12 starts July 1.

Culpepper was among a host of city officials who presented budget information Monday. The purpose was to get feedback and direction from council members before finalizing the budget next month.

As for the Arts Commission, Culpepper told the council it’s on solid financial ground. He said a $12,000 budget surplus would be reinvested into upcoming events and continually upgrading exhibits at the Cady Street Art House. Culpepper said he expects Art in the Sun to benefit from the surplus.

“We’re going to expand this year,” he added. “The event has been very well received by the public.”

Council members praised the commission’s efforts.

“You’re a significant addition to this community,” Councilman Douglas Bingham said.

The Arts Commission’s $100,000 budget is a fraction of the city’s overall budget of $17.1 million. That total is down about .2 percent from last year’s budget. Decreased property tax revenue and the uncertainty of state shared revenue means every city department has to continue to make do with the same or a little less funding, City Manager Pat Sullivan said.

“We had 58 full-time employees in 2005,” he added. “We’re down to 42 this fiscal year.”

Besides the arts, discussion was held about the city’s housing commission as well as roads and streets.

The council voted unanimously to include a 1 percent rent increase in the city budget for seniors living at the Allen Terrace apartments. Bingham asked Housing Director Sherry Necelis why rates were not being increased to keep pace with inflation.

“We’re trying to keep it affordable,” she said, adding that seniors haven’t received increases in Social Security payments in recent years. “The (housing) commissioners are trying to be as compassionate as possible.”

As for Northville’s streets, Director of Public Works James Gallogly said the city would fund two major projects in the new fiscal year:

• Main Street reconstruction from Rogers to Hutton at a total cost of $100,000
• South Rogers Street from Seven Mile Road at a cost of $80,000

City Councilwoman Nancy Darga asked Gallogly to put the intersection of Eight Mile Road and Center Street on his radar. She said the city needs to be creative in finding funding for such projects, such as matching funds at a higher rate to get Wayne County to move projects up on its to-do list.

“If we wait on the county,” Darga said, “it will never happen.”

Gallogly said he would work with county officials to make Northville’s roads a higher priority, but he couldn’t make any guarantees.

“I think there’s a way to do what you’re talking about,” he said. “It’s seeing if we have a cooperative partner.”