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not "development" but ...
CityFest's future uncertain amid funding questions
By Andre Coe
If Jubilee CityFest is not successful in 2008, the music festival could be in danger in 2009, according to city and county officials.
Montgomery Mayor Bobby Bright said in a weekend report that while the city of Montgomery has given the festival an additional $100,000 to help it survive losses from recent festivals, Jubilee won't be receiving such funds in the future.
The Advertiser previously reported that Jubilee CityFest lost more than $58,000 in 2006 after spending $923,566 to put on the event.
For years, Jubilee had a rainy-day fund and made major contributions to local charities from its profits. But recent losses over the past three or four years have depleted that fund.
Bright has said previously that if Jubilee continues to lose money it might be time to "reconsider" the Jubilee concept, looking at having a series of concerts over several weeks or months rather than a two-day or three-day festival.
This year, Jubilee made several changes in an attempt to become profitable. The festival was shortened from three days to two and moved up from the Memorial Day Weekend to April 27-28.
Jubilee officials have not announced whether the organization made or lost money at this year's event.
The festival has requested additional funding from local government, but so far it has received little additional support.
In May, Michael Briddell, executive assistant to the mayor, said the city of Montgomery ordinarily contributes $35,000 to the event along with more than $100,000 in city services, but this year the city provided an additional $100,000 to CityFest organizers.
Although Bright had said he believes the festival is an important way to promote Montgomery's downtown renovation, he said the city can no longer afford to bail the festival out if it continues to have major losses.
Following this year's festival, executive director Marianne McLeod requested an additional $25,000 from the county in May as well as tax forgiveness.
The county gave Jubilee $12,500 in 2006 and $25,000 in 2007, according to Montgomery County appropriations records. But last month, Jubilee officials canceled a request to speak to the Montgomery County Commission during budget hearings.
Also, county officials said Jubilee did not produce the financial data that the commissioners require to receive the tax forgiveness it requested. Tax forgiveness for the organization would amount to about $5,000, which is about a third of the $16,000 in tax revenue expected by the city and county.
Commissioner Todd Strange said the organization can still present the necessary documents that show its net gains or losses, but it must do so before the end of the fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30.
Strange would not say if the County Commission would grant McLeod's request, but added that no deadline was set.
Calls to Bright and McLeod were not returned in time for this report.
Rick Harmon contributed to this report.
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