In Illinois, for instance, Governor Rod Blagojevich recently cut staff funding for the state’s 60 historic sites, leaving the system reeling with questions on how to move forward. A similar story is occurring in New Jersey, where the Garden State Preservation Trust, which provides funding for open space conservation and grants for historic building renovation, is completely out of money. Voters approved a one-year funding stream for the Trust, but that ends on December 31 of this year.
As we know, the Ohio Historical Society joined most other state agencies in absorbing a funding reduction with the 2007 Budget bill from the Ohio General Assembly. Now, cuts have reached local government, particularly in the City of Columbus. The city’s Historic Preservation Office, which reviews applications for Certificates of Appropriateness in most of the city’s historic districts, has decreased in size — from five to two!
This office serves as a vitally important piece of the community development process in Ohio’s Capital City. Such a reduction can only mean increased times for review, which a corresponding increase in the time that investment can result in a finished product. As this column from German Village’s Interim Executive Director aptly points out, the impact will be immediate and far-reaching.
There are bright spots around the country, however - particularly in the area of historic preservation-related tax credits. Ohio’s, of course, has recently been extended for two years; in Colorado, legislators recently extended their tax credit for a full ten years!
Photo: German Village houses, Columbus - nodame/Creative Commons License