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Orange County Mayor Rejects Funding Changes for Planned Performing Arts Center

April 22, 2011 | WMFE - Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs Friday denied a request from Orlando's mayor that would free up money to build the planned downtown performing arts center, citing "significant concerns" about the center's financial plan and a "lack of cooperation and transparency" from its officials.

Supporters of the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center (DPAC) say that money is crucial to filling a multi-million dollar budget gap and keeping the long-delayed project on track as a construction deadline looms. On May 9th, some construction contracts will expire and DPAC fears new contracts would be more expensive due to the rising cost of steel and other building materials.

In a letter to Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Jacobs says she will not speed up the flow of tourism-industry taxes to the planned arts center, as requested. Jacobs blasts both the City of Orlando and DPAC for being more concerned with the deadline than with “pursuing value engineering opportunities, addressing construction and bidding concerns, and developing a financially feasible long-term operating plan.”

Furthermore, Jacobs says, DPAC has not responded to her request for information on the arts center’s operating budget. She wants proof the center can sustain itself financially without seeking additional money from county coffers, sayingit is essential for DPAC to have a reasonable plan to fund projected operating deficits and a contingency plan to deal with higher than expected deficits.”  

She adds, “DPAC's unwillingness to share existing information in a timely fashion raises questions about the quality and accuracy of the original operating plan.”

Mayor Buddy Dyer issued a brief written statement in response to Jacobs' letter.  He did not address Jacobs' specific criticisms, but he did suggest he was not giving up on the arts center.

"... we had hoped to have Mayor Jacobs as an additional collaborator in identifying solutions on how to make a new performing arts center a reality," Dyer said. "We will continue to work with community leaders and our partners to develop a plan that allows the performing arts center to move forward within the funds available." 

The Orlando Mayor's office also released a memo that Mayor Dyer sent Mayor Jacobs earlier this week, laying out the city's position on the arts center financing situation. 

 

 

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