Jersey City Councilman's plan to eliminate Department of Cultural Affairs gets cool reception

Downtown Jersey City Councilman Steve Fulop's proposal to eliminate the city's Department of Cultural Affairs and merge it into Hudson County's arts department received a cool reception from the City Council last night.

Cultural Affairs Director Maryanne Kelleher spoke at the council's Monday caucus about the importance of the department, which Steve Fulop proposed eliminating last week as a cost-saving measure.

"We're the most diverse city, and we have all these artists living here," Kelleher said. "This serves to turn our back on that."

Citing the department's 10-person staff, Kelleher said, "I genuinely do not believe that they deserve to be treated like political footballs."

There doesn't seem to be much threat to the department, judging by the praise Fulop's council peers lavished on Kelleher last night. Ward F Councilwoman Viola Richardson said Kelleher's staff has "done a fantastic job," while Ward A Councilman Michael Sottolano said it would be a "shame" to eliminate the department.

Steve Fulop defended his proposal, saying Jersey City's Department of Cultural Affairs performs a "redundant service" and there is an opportunity to consolidate with Hudson County.

"To say that diversity in this city would stop or culture in the city would stop or arts in the city would stop if there were no Cultural Affairs is, again, not true," he said.

-Sources