Live Music Fund collections steady; staff report 41 awardees remain noncompliant on reporting
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Summary
City music staff told the Music Commission that June 2025 hotel-occupancy-tax collections for the Live Music Fund were essentially flat year to year but that grant reporting problems left 41 awardees noncompliant, delaying final payments and prompting staff outreach and policy discussions about future eligibility.
At a Music Commission meeting staff said hotel-occupancy-tax collections for the Austin Live Music Fund were largely unchanged year to date, while grant-reporting problems left dozens of awardees out of compliance.
Kim McCarson, program manager in the Music and Entertainment Division of the Office of Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment (ACME), reported that June 2025 collections for the Live Music Fund were $16,485, bringing the year-to-date total to $3,233,024. McCarson said that percent change in the year-to-date total was “about down by about a half percent.”
The reporting problems were the central issue in staff briefings. Erica Shamley, division manager for music and entertainment, said the FY2023 grant round initially had 367 awardees and that “4 awardees forfeited before receiving any funds.” She told commissioners the count of noncompliant awardees had fallen from 56 last month to 41: “the number was 56 last month, and now it's 41 remaining noncompliant awardees.” Shamley said 20 of the 41 had submitted an interim report showing the first payment but had incomplete or no final report; 21 had submitted incomplete or no interim report.
McCarson described the barriers she and staff encountered while following up with grantees: communication gaps when applicants changed email addresses or phone numbers, unfamiliarity with spreadsheets and budget forms, and the operational disruption caused when the city’s in-house application portal was replaced with a mix of spreadsheets and Google Forms. “I am the one who is managing the review of the reports for the Live Music Fund, which would include the interim reports and the final reports,” McCarson said. She summarized common problems as email/phone updates, technology gaps and unfamiliarity with budgeting tools: “those are the 3 big ones that I've noticed.”
Commissioners pressed staff on consequences and on how the city will support grantees. Commissioner Price asked whether technical training or certification (for Submittable or spreadsheet use) would become a requirement; staff said Submittable has built-in technical assistance through a third-party partner and that the new system’s user experience should reduce spreadsheet burdens. Shamley said staff had been discussing sanctions in the guidelines, including a possible multi-year ineligibility, but emphasized uncertainty: “I think that's a question, you know, of what does the city feel like it has to do at that point. If it's flagrant year over year, you know, that's 1 thing.” She said a five-year bar from City funds had been discussed but required review with the city manager and legal departments and that she personally favored “the side of grace” for the program’s first round.
Commissioners voiced a mix of caution and concern. Several commissioners supported continued technical assistance and more teaching resources, while others noted the public money involved and urged mechanisms to protect fiscal accountability. Commissioners asked staff to return with a final accounting of remaining noncompliant awardees and the dollar value involved once the August window for additional submissions closes.
Staff said next steps include continuing individualized outreach (phone, email and texting) to awardees, completing the last compliance reviews after the final submission deadline, and returning to the commission in September with a full accounting of who remains noncompliant and the amount of funds involved. Shamley and McCarson emphasized staff efforts to make future reporting clearer by using Submittable, improving written instructions, and providing more hands-on technical assistance.
Votes at a glance - Motion: Approve July meeting minutes. Mover: Commissioner Carvalho; Second: Commissioner Price. Outcome: approved (voice vote; tally not specified). (Transcript segment: approval of minutes at start of meeting.) - Motion: Add listed items (ACME funding recommendation, airport update, bond engagement and Austin Tech item) to the agenda. Mover: Commissioner Silva; Second: Commissioner Carvalho. Outcome: approved (voice vote; tally not specified). - Motion: Adjourn meeting. Mover: not specified; Second: Commissioner Price. Outcome: approved (voice vote; tally not specified).
