Washington Council alters muni band funding

WASHINGTON — The Washington City Council is taking early steps to continue funding the local municipal band without dipping into taxpayer dollars.

Elected officials voted unanimously Sept. 16 to put $15,000 of seed money into an endowment fund, in a collaboration with the Community Foundation of Washington County. Called the “Washington Municipal Band Friends Fund,” City Administrator Joe Gaa said the change was necessary as the city strives to trim down nonessential expenditures in compliance with state laws restricting how much local governments can tax their residents.

“We’ve looked at things that are in the general fund that, perhaps we could move other places, or at least find ways to supplement them, rather than cut them,” Gaa said. “This is probably the safest place for them, the mayor worked with the band to establish this endowment fund.”

Gaa said interest on the fund would go toward the band’s expenses. Once big enough, it would be effectively self-sustaining.

It’s not an immediate replacement to the city’s support for its municipal band, a group with a reputation for top-tier talent frequently heard at farmers markets and annual events in town. The city’s $15,000 of seed money is nowhere near the amount needed to match the longtime municipal contribution to the group of $7,000 a year.

“They’ll have to raise a whole lot more to make it up,” he said. “We were thinking, let’s look at some things that will maybe be tough discussions down the road, and maybe this will soften that tough discussion … I think we can hang onto it for a few more years.”

Washington Municipal Band Director Tom McNamar said he understood the need for a new funding model, citing the “current budgetary climate.”

He said financial planners for the organization estimated they’d need around $195,000 in the endowment fund to maintain their current $7,000 a year allocation, which helps pay for sheet music and a modest payment to the director and members at the end of every summer.

The band has already raised $20,000, however, from anonymous donors with virtually zero promotion of the endowment fund. McNamar said he was optimistic about their ability to gather the rest over the next several years.

“The band has had a long history, next season will be our 95th season,” he said. “We are not going to have the band close shop before we reach 100 … we can only imagine, as the word gets out, knowing how musical Washington is, the support for the band will come.”

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com