Thursday, April 25, 2002

By ALAN GUENTHER
Courier-Post Staff
TRENTON

Top-level officials say Gov. James E. McGreevey will keep a promise to give South Jersey groups 25 percent of the state's arts funding, even though his proposed budget does not yet provide that guarantee.

"Each and every year the language guaranteeing 25 percent for South Jersey has been added by budget resolution, and without question, that will occur again," said Assembly Majority Leader Joe Roberts, D-Camden. "You can take it to the bank that the ultimate budget document will have the 25 percent for South Jersey."

The issue surfaced Wednesday during a state Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee hearing.

The nonpartisan Office of Legislative Services released a budget analysis for the secretary of state's section of the budget. The secretary of state oversees arts funding.

The OLS analysis said, "The governor does not recommend budget language which ensured that the southernmost counties would receive at least 25 percent of the appropriation for cultural projects."

But state Treasurer John McCormac, in an interview, said South Jersey groups "absolutely" will receive 25 percent of the state's arts funding.

For years, local arts organizations complained that North Jersey groups were given an unfair share of the money allocated by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

Last April, the Courier-Post published a series of stories showing how South Jersey groups have been historically shortchanged. McGreevey promised to correct the problem.

But all arts groups will be suffering from the budget woes afflicting the rest of the state as McGreevey struggles to close a $5.3 billion deficit.

Funding for the arts council will be cut to $18.7 million. That's a 17.9 percent, or $4.1 million, decrease from last year's adjusted appropriation.

The governor's original budget, announced in March, also recommends cutting $1 million earmarked for the South Jersey Performing Arts Center in Camden. Since that announcement, South Jersey legislative leaders have said they are attempting to restore money for SJPAC.

The final budget must be adopted by June 30.