As Mayor Vincent Gray’s administration officials drafted this year’s D.C. budget proposal, facing beefed up revenues from a growing tax base and an improving economy, they left the Arts and Humanities Commission off their list of top priorities, slashing the proposed budget in half.

For the current fiscal year, the Arts and Humanities Commission received $14.4 million, after some wrangling by Ward 2 Councilman Jack Evans turned up one-time money by refinancing some of the city’s debt.