GARDEN GROVE : Fund Allocations to Arts Groups Delayed

The City Council has delayed an allocation of about $43,000 to three local cultural arts organizations, sending them scrambling to pay their bills.

The council on Tuesday voted 3 to 2 to force the Orange County Symphony of Garden Grove, the Garden Grove Assn. for the Arts and the Community Theater to submit their annual budgets and spell out specific financial needs before receiving funds. The Garden Grove Assn. for the Arts runs the annual Shakespeare Festival and productions at the Gem Theatre,

Mayor W.E. (Walt) Donovan and Councilmen Frank Kessler and J. Tilman Williams voted for the measure, while Councilmen Mark Leyes and Robert F. Dinsen voted against it. Once the budgets from those groups are evaluated, city officials plan to then make the allocations within two weeks.

The unexpected delay hit a sour chord with symphony officials, who said they had expected to receive funds this week to pay musicians who are owed nearly $4,500. Edward Peterson, the conductor and music director of the symphony, said the group has cash-flow problems and “very much counted on” receiving the money this week.

Officials added that although the delay causes a strain, the symphony will not have to close its doors. It relies on ticket sales, private contributions and city funding to maintain an annual budget of about $300,000. In April, the symphony received about $11,000 from the city.

Dick Hain, symphony secretary and member of the board of directors, said Tuesday that the organization has a bank balance of less than $1,000 and that private donations have been hard to come by this year.

“It’s a desperate time” for cultural arts, Hain said. “You take away the concerts and you take away part of the cultural balance of the community.”

Hain said the symphony also owes flutist Eugenia Zuckerman $2,500 and guest conductor Philippe Bender $3,700 for the season’s premier concert on Sept. 25 at the Celebrity Theatre in Anaheim. Most of the concerts, though, are held at the 1,500-seat Don Wash Auditorium at Garden Grove High School.

The city funds come from developer fees that are specifically earmarked for local cultural affairs.