Last chance to raise your voice on the city budget!

The City Manager’s latest draft budget for FY2021-2022 earmarks $2 million in American Rescue Plan funds to support arts and cultural programs that have been devastated COVID-19. And now, the Mayor has proposed using additional one-time relief funds to backfill shortfalls in the Transient Occupancy Tax (aka TOT or Hotel Tax).

While we thank the Mayor and Council for their support, as advocates, we would be remiss if we didn’t ask them to do more for our struggling industry. We encourage you to express your support for the Mayor’s Budget Message AND continue to push for additional funding as detailed in this letter from SJAA to the Mayor and Council, which has already been co-signed by more than 60 San José arts leaders and organizations.

On behalf of our entire creative community — including individual artists, nonprofit arts and culture organizations, creative businesses, and arts advocates — we continue to call on Mayor and City Council to use the City’s FY2021-2022 budget to fully invest in our arts and cultural ecosystem.

Please read our letter and add your voice by signing on today!