Politics & Government
Woodbury Republican Town Committee Statement on Proposed Woodbury Arts and Culture Commission
We Urge A NO Vote
Woodbury Arts and Culture Commission
Proposed Ordinance
To be voted at the Monday, November 17 Town Meeting
The proposed Charter amendment authorizing creation of a Commission on the Arts and Culture was discussed during the October Woodbury Republican Town Committee meeting. Participants expressed their appreciation of the arts, noting that Woodbury enjoys a history of being called “home” by artists from virtually every discipline. The sentiments expressed were distilled into a statement supporting “the establishment of a permanent, private foundation acknowledging Woodbury’s place in the history of various art forms while encouraging and promoting the great potential within our community.”
Private foundations enjoy freedoms not available to government agencies: they fulfill their mission independent of town government, political influence, or town charters; they can be sustained by private donations or accept local, state, and federal grants. They determine their own goals, expand or contract as necessary, and are entities unto themselves. Locally, Flanders Nature Center may be the most visible among several examples of successful private foundations.
The Town Committee recognizes establishing a Commission for the Arts and Culture within the Charter would limit its scope and curtail its independence. The commission would have to abide by the restrictions of the charter. It would be hampered by minority representation requirements. Even the most qualified appointee’s selection could be viewed as political patronage. Government influence on the arts is a serious threat to the freedoms and creative spirit necessary for the arts to flourish.
The Woodbury Republican Town Committee cannot support the proposal being presented at Monday’s Town Meeting. Rather, the Committee supports the establishment of a permanent, private foundation to encourage and promote the arts in Woodbury.
The public is encouraged to attend the Town Meeting Monday, November 17, at 8:00 PM in the Senior/Community Center.
