Carolyn McLeod is shown on the YouTube video of Wednesday’s Albany City Council meeting.
Albany Councilwoman Carolyn McLeod, in her first month in office, sprang a couple of surprise spending proposals on the council Wednesday.
She proposed that in the next biennial budget, $750,000 be allocated to CARA, the Central Albany Revitalization Area, to make more grants “in the interest of the community at large.” She also asked that $10,000 be allocated so the city’s arts commission can fund public art projects such as murals.
The money in both cases would come from the city’s economic development fund, which McLeod said has about $2,772,000 in the draft budget for 2025-27.
She made her proposals in the form of two motions, and fellow freshman council member Michael Thomson seconded both. He withdrew his support after the proposals ran into pushback.
The city staff doubted whether city money could legally be shifted to the Albany Revitalization Agency (ARA), which governs CARA. The council and the ARA consist of the same seven people, but they are legally separate entities.
Another objection was that CARA no longer has a grant program. The urban renewal district intended to conclude its activities with the Waterfront Project, which is supposed to wrap up this year.
The lack of a formal CARA grant program was the main reason the city last year rejected a request for financial aid for the private project of retrofitting the historic Oregon Electric Railway depot as the home of Sybaris, the downtown restaurant.
McLeod didn’t spell out what grants she had in mind for the $750,000 she wants CARA to get.
Her motions died without council action. But council members seemed to ask for a staff report on what it would take to establish a new grant program under CARA and what other activities would have to be cut if money was taken from economic development.
My assumption has been that CARA would die after the Waterfront Project. But Albany’s two new council members seem willing to prolong its life. (hh)
No!! Let the abomination die already! CARA has had it’s time and now it’s over. How about a SARA? South Albany needs to be revitalized more than any other area in Albany from all the monstrosities of subdivisions the city has allowed to be built. Where will these kids go to school where will the cars go? On South Albany Streets and in South Albany schools it needs to be dealt with and it needs to be dealt with now
Ward I-B has 7,690 registered voters. Only 2,053 (26.6%) voted for Thomson.
Ward II-B has 11,176 registered voters. Only 2,546 (22.7%) voted for McLeod.
A vast majority of registered voters in these two Wards didn’t vote for these two new councilors.
Voter powerlessness? Voter disappointment?
Whatever the reason, councilors like these two that want to prolong the manipulative money scheme called CARA will only increase voter disenfranchisement.
Not voting is a vote for the winner. Our world belongs to those who care about it the most, and a majority of those people voted for Carolyn and Michael. That’s a fact, and facts are friends.
what percentage of the registered voters even bothered to vote? Citizen apathy is the problem, with the attitude seeming to be “what good will it do? They will do what they want anyway!”
Apparently schools no longer teach a subject once called CIVICS.
By law, schools teach civics and personal finance. Unfortunately, parents are their children’s first teachers, and they generally give lessons in ignorance.
I read somewhere (must have been in the D-H newspaper) that the new Councilors are Democrats and that the Council is now made up of all Democrats and/or progressives.
Doesn’t seem so with the two new ones wanting to keep CARA going….even though Thomson backed out when faced with opposition.
Urban renewal districts (a la CARA) have to go through a vote of the people now.
The tax increment financing that funds URDs skims money off the taxes that support schools, fire depts., and police depts. We sure as hell need schools, fire depts., and police depts. more than we need more fancy restaurants downtown. Tax increment financing is now outlawed in several states.
Didn’t Michael Thomson claim he was going to represent the people when he was running? TAKING OUR money for the benefit of a few downtown merchants is NOT representing THE PEOPLE!
Yes, absolutely they should do this!
Only to pay Pacific Power for their pet project however.
The City could simply set up a loan or grant program that has nothing to do with Central Albany Revitalization Area (CARA).
All they would need to do is name a group (Landmarks?) to set up the rules and processes. Or transfer monies to an established group like The Albany Downtown Association, or the Chamber. to make the grants. Before CARA, the city used to give out “Small Grants” for things like awnings, signs and the like. Not any different really than the grants that the Landmarks Commission, or the Tourism Advisory Committee already hand out. The question is what is the current need for a new program? CARA is done, so no need to keep beating a dead horse.
I agree Oscar. This is nothing new. The Economic Development Fund, being requested for the transfer of funds to ARA, has provided millions of dollars in grants. Those funds were from the Pepsi proceeds.
I find it a little troubling that a new member of the council wants to disperse $750k in grants. We all know the funds the city of Albany has are gained by redistribution of money from citizens whether the revenue comes from the feds,state,county,city taxes and fees,etc. The city council would do well to remember that fact in their deliberations. I looked up this person and she seems to enjoy canvas painting as a hobby and artistic endeavors. I think her artistic viewpoint should not factor into city of Albany expenditures.
Oh. An artist who is a U.S. Army VETERAN and a parent who cares about our city shouldn’t do her job as a counselor? You have an interesting opinion.
A former Arts Commissioner who enjoys canvas painting!? What a scandal!
I see your comments but $750k in grant funds via a program that no longer exists as a first act as a council member seems odd. She clearly has a personally slanted agenda with Albany $$$. She is not a counselor but a city council member. Do not play the veteran card here because you or her may not want the DD214 show down with this or other specific comment contributors. Her veteran status has no bearing on spending city funds.
It appears the established procedure is not a vague $ amount to the city’s arts commission. There is a procedural protocol. Where is the specific request from the city art commission?
“3.4 Process for Accessioning Artwork:
The Albany Arts Commission shall confirm the available budget, identify the site for the work(s) of art, identify the goals of the project, and if appropriate, form a selection committee to choose the artist and/or artwork, and determine the most appropriate accession method in each circumstance, depending upon the project funding source. In initiating any public art project, the Albany Arts Commission shall: 1. Confirm the total project budget available for purchase of services and/or artwork, including installation costs.”
Public data appears to show an annual budget for the arts commission already set in place as part of the larger Albany city general budget. So what is different now?
ALBANY ARTS COMMISSION MINUTES Tuesday, December 10, 2024 3:30 p.m.
“Council Chamber Tapestry Change-Lohse 4:11 p.m. Lohse informed the commission that the mayor showed interest in replacing the tapestry in council chambers with different artwork. The commission discussed different ideas and funding. Brief discussion followed.”
As someone said earlier That’s a fact, and facts are friends.
Yes, “confirm the available budget” is the FIRST item in that process. As McLeod indicated in her statements, the budget for the Arts Commission is $200. It costs more than $50 per month to put on the city hall art show alone. Yet, the mayor has been talking about getting this mural thing done for years, and promising he will get grants for it. News flash: He hasn’t.
I would agree it is very sad that the budget for the arts in Albany is $200 a year. I am sure Ms.McLeod is a nice person and honorable veteran who is seeking some kind of a viable answer.
Until fund money and donations are easy money to get without being used for necessities that the city needs to run as it should, it will help increase problems that they are used for such as drug addiction and homelessness. All these superficial projects that play the lead role in what the local government wants to do is like going to the mechanic to get your car fixed but having your car painted instead because they gave you a good deal on paint Many men that have come to us looking for work are people that came here from other cities and states because of the the high level of services offered here. Most of them that have exhausted all resources were they lived before including their family members. I truly believe in helping people but Albany has a weak base to work from as far as helping people. Having a strong economy by focusing on encouraging positive, sustainable businesses is a better use of funding and time. Real, honest work is what makes a community the best it can be, not a city that tries to survive off of funding, That includes over building to attract more people that we cannot afford help without begging and/or demanding money from people that are barely surviving themselves..
Cara has been a cluster from the very beginning, charging all residents in the city for the benefit of downtown property owners who didn’t keep up their properties and let them run into disrepair. Enough with socialism already.
What makes this even more onerous is the change it makes in individuals who no longer think about how they could fix something to having them think that someone else OWES them something.
With the change in Washington DC free money is going to be restricted, Do Not be so stupid as to think that it will not affect the City.
Anybody who would vote for this would steal sheep…