More than 100 organizations requested a total of $103.7 million in county sales tax money to strengthen and maintain their cultural and recreational offerings in 2016, according to documents released Thursday by the Allegheny Regional Asset District.
The 109 asks are slightly higher than last year, when 106 groups requested $102.1 million and the authority distributed $93.1 million.
Applicants should know in October if they are recommended for funding.
The authority known as RAD supports parks, libraries, stadiums and cultural groups with half of the proceeds of an additional 1 percent sales tax in Allegheny County. Its sales tax fund climbed to $45.7 million through June, a 3.7 percent increase from this time last year.
For 2016, groups requested $94.2 million in grants for general operations, up $3.9 million from 2015, and $9.5 million in capital spending on facilities, down $2.3 million.
The bulk of RAD money — 73 percent — goes to groups deemed “contractual assets,” which include county and city parks and libraries, the National Aviary, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens and Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium. About 15 percent goes to stadiums and the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, and 10 percent goes to several dozen arts and cultural organizations.
In 2013, the cash-strapped Port Authority of Allegheny County was added to the mix. It requested $3 million for 2016, the same amount it received the past two years.
The 2016 funding round drew five first-time applicants: Library Board of Oakmont, McKeesport History and Heritage Center, Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse, Pittsburgh Mandolin Society and Village Theater.
All applicants must make their case for funding before the RAD board at a series of public budget hearings this fall. The first budget hearing is set for Aug. 26.
The board will release a preliminary budget Oct. 1 that contains the grant allocations before voting on its final adoption on Nov. 23.
Natasha Lindstrom is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at 412-380-8514 or nlindstrom@tribweb.com.
