The Bossier Arts Council’s agreement with Bossier City was officially ended Tuesday in a contentious City Council meeting that featured several votes overhauling the city’s nonprofit funding approach.
The 5-2 vote, which finalized a monthlong debate, was on an ordinance severing that agreement and evicting the BAC from their space in the city-owned Old Municipal Building in the East Bank District. However, city officials also debuted the government’s plan to keep arts programming in the building moving forward.
Noncompliance at issue
At issue was the fact that the BAC has been deemed noncompliant with state financial reporting laws for three straight years by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor. That has landed them on the agency’s noncompliance list, meaning they are ineligible for state grants or federal grants administered by the state.
The audit requirement is aimed at fostering transparency and accountability and ensuring the proper use of public funds, according to the agency’s website. The council members who voted in favor of cutting ties have all cited their interest in responsibly stewarding city tax dollars to back up their votes, as the BAC typically gets $130,000 from the city every year under the now-terminated agreement, though they only received $80,000 this January due to concerns about their management of the East Bank Plaza.
Supporters of the BAC, however, have defended the nonprofit’s programming and cast blame for the reporting issues on the organization’s most recent executive director, Brittainy Pope, who departed in October. Those supporters, along with the BAC’s board of directors, have largely called for the City Council to give the nonprofit more time to come into compliance as they work with a CPA firm to get their reports submitted.
Plan for the building
The BAC was founded in 1980 as a joint effort by the city government, which more recently made it the manager of the East Bank Plaza. In the Old Municipal Building, the nonprofit hosts shows, events, exhibitions and workshops for local artists designed to support the parish’s art scene.
Now, the BAC is being pushed out of the building. However, the city government has a potential plan to maintain arts programming there, though it sparked a heated exchange among the council members…