Lincoln-Tallman faces possible budget cuts
Photo
Steve Sheiffer
JANESVILLE — A tight 2008 city budget likely will put the squeeze on Janesville’s historic Lincoln-Tallman House, the city council learned Wednesday.
The museum’s subsidy drops 20 percent in the city’s proposed budget, from $65,300 to $52,264.
By 2009, the Tallman House probably will get nothing from the city.
“It’s a nice, historic property. It’s important to the community, but I don’t know how to pay for it anymore,” Sheiffer told the council at a budget review session.
Sheiffer said giving the museum a subsidy next year would give the Rock County Historical Society a year to raise private funding.
The Tallman House property was given to the city as a museum, Sheiffer said. If the city can’t operate the museum, responsibility for the property reverts back to a trust.
About 5,100 people have visited the Tallman House so far this year, up from 4,206 in 2006.
The Tallman House has developed pressing maintenance issues and recently sought volunteers to help with the work. The council agreed to give the museum $30,000 from a tuckpointing fund to help repair soffits and loose porch floorboards.
Council President George Brunner asked for a list of priority maintenance projects.
Sheiffer said he would recommend money only for projects that preserve structural integrity and protect safety.
“Cities traditionally have supported properties like this, but welcome to levy limit freezes,” Sheiffer said.
WHAT’S NEXT
The Janesville City Council will hold up to two more budget study sessions at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 30, and Thursday, Nov. 1. A public hearing on the budget likely will be held at the council’s Monday, Nov. 12, meeting. At that meeting, City Manager Steve Sheiffer will have a list of changes and cuts to the city’s budget, based on the new tax levy limit in the state budget.
Jan 17, 2008 at 9:48 p.m.
Suggest removal
I'm watching a show tonight on public television and began an internet search to find more info on the Lincoln-Tallman home. It's a shame that an entire city can not find a way to save and preserve this home. I live in Lansing IA and I too am the custodian to another Italianate home and I maintain this property by myself here in rural Iowa....Hopefully the City of Janesville can wake up and look for ways to conserve this one of kind gem.
Oct 25, 2007 at 10:46 p.m.
Suggest removal
What's up with abandoning the Tallman House? It strikes me as foolish that Shieffer would support spending money to buy more property in downtown Janesville, but has no problem letting the Tallman House rot to pieces.
Here are some funding ideas:
1. Dump the aquatic facility spending.
2. Stop subsidizing the ice arena which was last century's Edsel. Shut it down and sell it or put the refrigeration hardware on e-bay.
3. Don't waste any money on building a "corridor" between the hospital and the downtown area, ESPECIALLY if you intend to let the Tallman House rot.
The Tallman House is far more important to the history and culture of Janesville than a money-losing ice rink and a seasonal swimming pool. There's far more return from it than will ever occur from slinging some pedestrian bridges over Centerway or developing more walkways along the river.
4. Suggest the City Council start capping some management compensation packages. Welcome to disgusted taxpayer freezes.
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