On Monday, Mayor Lightfoot presented her proposed FY23 budget to the Chicago City Council. This annual budget address shares the proposed City funding allocations for the coming calendar year.
The City’s budget for the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) has an important influence on our shared goal of continuing to build a flourishing arts and culture sector in Chicago. We tuned into Monday’s budget address to see how it would impact DCASE in the coming year.
Key takeaways
1. DCASE’s budget will increase by 5.2% in 2023.
In 2022, DCASE’s total budget was $67.9 million. Mayor Lightfoot’s proposed budget would increase it to $71.4 million in 2023. This includes federal relief dollars.
2. The City is once more allocating $10 million dollars to DCASE from the City’s corporate fund.
Under the proposed budget, Mayor Lightfoot is continuing her commitment to the stability of the arts and culture scene in Chicago. The corporate fund is Chicago’s general operating fund for essential city services and operations and comes from core sources like the city-collected sales tax and tax on utilities. Ultimately, these funds are less vulnerable than many other revenue sources.
We’re thankful that the mayor has proposed that the corporate fund once more help fuel Chicago’s arts and culture sector this year. We look forward to continuing to advocate for the expansion of this funding source in future budgets.
3. Pandemic relief efforts are ongoing, and the proposed budget accounts for that.
This includes funding allocated for Together We Heal grants and Artist Relief and Works grants — two components of the Chicago Recovery Plan.
Our analysis of the proposed budget will continue in the coming weeks. This is a proposed budget, which means nothing is set in stone just yet. The coming months will see budget hearings, committee work, and final consideration by the full City Council. If you have questions about the takeaways above, sign up for our Deputy Director Jonathan’s office hours!
