Public art: council votes against reconsidering expenditures

City council has decided not to debate a motion to suspend the Calgarys public art program for the remainder of the year.

• Calgary public art policy: city council to debate motion to suspend

The support of 10 council members was needed in order for for Coun. Peter Demongs motion to reconsider the art expenditure budget to go forward.

Council votedMondaymorning 9-5 against the reconsideration motion.

The program's 2015 budget was just passed in December.

Demong proposed suspending the citys public art program saying it behooves us as the city to show our citizens some restraint in how we allocate scarce resources in times of economic stress.

One councillor who intended to support Demong's motion, Ward Sutherland, was absent from Mondays vote.

The current policy commits the city to spending one per cent of the value of its capital projects on public art.

Last May the policy was adjustedso that only half a per cent of projects worth over $50 million goes toward art, and no installation exceeds $4 million.

City manager Jeff Fielding told council Monday that administration will be bringing forward a report in March or April on ways the city can trim $20 million in spending from this year's budget as a response to the downturn in the economy.

He said that the city has seen a 76-per cent jump in job inquiriesthrough its website this year.