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One Percent for the Arts

By Jeffrey B. Cohen

March 16, 2009

There's been lots of money for building in the city, but not so much for the arts, the argument goes. But there's a small move afoot to change that.

In his state of the city last week, Mayor Eddie A. Perez announced his Hartford Arts Stimulus Plan, which would give $1.7 million to arts organizations for projects that would create jobs. Tonight, Working Families Party Councilman Luis Cotto is moving forward with his effort to set aside one percent of most of the city's above-ground capital improvement projects over $1 million. (Getty Images)

In January, the council approved a resolution backing the "percent for the arts" policy. Now, though, Cotto wants to up the ante and make the policy law.

"You can call the resolution my way of testing the waters," Cotto wrote in an e-mail to "mi gente," his people. "But that does not mean that we can slack off."

The public hearing on the measure is tonight at 7 in the council chambers at city hall.