Should Galveston officials begin devoting a percentage of the city’s construction budget to a public art fund?

The Daily News
August 20, 2023

Island developers might soon have to devote 2 percent of their construction budget to a public art fund held by the city, with officials looking to pump more money into artistic endeavors.

The city plans to take the idea to the Cultural Arts Commission for discussion on determining the best approach, Brown said. The commission would then take a recommendation to council.

A few council members expressed support for at least having a discussion about what a public art fee for construction could look like.

Other council members were outright skeptical about the proposal. Councilman David Collins, who is widely regarded as one of the council’s most staunch supporters of public art, was among them. “I don’t think the public has the appetite for this while we’re trying to raise money to pay our firefighters,” Collins said.

“I would be unwilling to propose that to taxpayers given the amount of art-eligible funding we have available.” Collins was referring in part to the $1.8 million in hotel tax revenue the city gave last week to more than 20 island nonprofits for the next two fiscal years.

If Galveston creates such a program, it could assess a 1 percent or 2 percent fee, and it could be imposed on city-funded and private development projects, Brown said. For instance, a 2 percent fee on the proposed $100 million Tiara by the Sea development, 10525 San Luis Pass Road, would net about $2 million for Galveston’s public art fund.