Sarah Trafton is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media Greene County lawmakers have reversed a January decision to significantly cut funding to the local arts council. Council for Resources to Enrich the Arts, Technology and Education, or CREATE, formerly known as the Greene County Council on the Arts, serves Greene, Columbia and Schoharie counties. Last month, the Legislature decided to reduce the county's annual contribution to CREATE from almost $36,000 to $12,000 over concerns about how the funds were serving Greene County. After being provide supplemental information from CREATE Executive Director Marline Martin, the lawmakers chose to reverse the earlier decision and restore the $35,990 contribution — the same amount received by CREATE in 2020. “We received this letter declaring how you use the funds,” County Resources Chair Michael Bulich said this week. “If we could get the information maybe a little earlier the next time, maybe November or December as we approve the budget for the next cycle, we would have an understanding of how the money is being spent.” CREATE supports 30 organizations in Greene County, holds five exhibitions and three special events, has 300 members, administers 25 artist grants and two fiscal sponsorships. The council has supported a number of arts organizations in the county over the years including the Lumberyard Center for Film and Performing Arts; Bridge Street Theatre, Inc.; Bronck Museum; Catskill Mountain Foundation, Inc.; and WGXC's umbrella organization Wave Farm, which receives funding from the Legislature through the County Initiative Program, administered in Greene County by CREATE. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.