Bossier City Cuts Ties with Arts Council After Compliance Issues
A final decision is made about the arts in Bossier City. Despite several emotional pleas for more time, the Bossier City Council has voted to sever ties with the Bossier Arts Council and the BAC must move out by the end of the month.
This is happening as a result of actions by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor. That agency issued a report finding the Arts Council in non-compliance with reporting mandates going back for 3 years. This prompted the City Council to take a closer look at the cooperative endeavor agreement between the city of Bossier and the Arts Council.
READ MORE: Preliminary Vote on BAC was 6-1
The city provided the BAC with $80,000 in cash and free rent at the facility in the East Bank District. Part of the agreement also called on the Bossier Arts Council to manage the East Bank Plaza and all the entertainment scheduling.
Several folks connected to the arts asked the City Council members to give the BAC more time to get out of the building. There are questions about what fixtures and equipment belongs to the city and what belongs to the BAC. Questions were also raised about the sign in front of the building.
How Did the Bossier City Council Vote?
When all the dust settled, the panel voted 5-2 to end the relationship with the BAC for now. Only Debra Ross and Brian Hammons voted against the measure. Councilman Cliff Smith made it clear the members of the arts community. He says
This is a not a death toll for y'all. Get your business in order. Come back. We will be excited to get another CEA with y'all and have you continue. This is not the final nail in the coffin.
The Bossier City Council has also put other non-profit agencies on notice. All of them must now be in compliance with state auditors or risk losing city dollars. One that is in jeopardy right now is the United Way which gets 20 thousand dollars from the city.