After Odessa residents raised concern that a proposal to award the Ellen Noel Art Museum a taxpayer funded $600,000 grant was not a proper use of ODC funds, the measure was tabled by the Odessa City Council.
A proposed financial assistance grant submitted by the Odessa Economic Development Corporation (ODC) to the Odessa City Council for approval was tabled after residents raised concerns that using ODC funds for the museum was not a proper or legal use of the money. The six hundred thousand dollar ($600,000) financial assistance grant was slated to aid the Ellen Noel Art Museum in construction costs that the museum says are much needed to remodel the building.
The proposal was deemed acceptable by the ODC’s compliance committee, with the ODC then voting to recommend the city council approval of the funding.
Only one ODC board member expressed concern that the measure didn’t fall within the legal spending guidelines during the board’s adoption of the measure.
However, some Odessa residents raised concerns that the expenditure was not an appropriate use of the funds showing that state law clearly prohibits using economic development dollars for an art museum project.
The city council ended up voting to table the measure after an ODC representative asked the council to table it, citing a need for “further clarification.”
Odessa resident Dawn Tucker spoke to the city council during consideration of the issue, telling the council she not only disagreed with those funds being used for the art museum but challenged a claim by Councilman Steve Thompson that the museum remodeling will be a key factor for corporate businesses deciding whether to move to Odessa-citing a “quality of life” issue.
“Well, I completely disagree with that because I asked him to give me one example where a business refused to come to Odessa because the museum hasn’t been updated in a while” Tucker stated, continuing saying, “I just want everybody to know our eyes are open and we are watching what goes on.”
I applaud Dawn for taking the time to involve herself in the spending of local sales tax dollars.
The Ellen Noel Art Museum is a phenomenal organization that does great things in this community for school aged children and elderly alike. I am thrilled to have such an organization in Odessa. I must ask why they are willing to use tax dollars for a remodel but not find a way to dip in to the more than ten million dollars that they have in the bank ($10,000,000). It is my understanding that those dollars were donated with strings attached to how they can be spent. It is time to go back to the donors and tell them a remodel is necessary if they are to continue their operations. I have read much outrage about this project not being funded from people stating that ECISD cut the budget for arts in schools. I did not hear this outrage when ECISD voted to spend three hundred thousand dollars($300,000) per year to bring internet to 45 families in an area in which internet is available and affordable by more than 6 internet companies.
We have many outstanding businesses in Odessa that do not rely on tax money to stay afloat. When spending is prohibited it would be unfair to favor one over the other.