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Group of 16 Organizations Pen Letter To County Executive Ed Day Asking for Explanations On Shifting Priorities
By Tina Traster
A group of cultural and nonprofit organizations that have relied on Rockland County Tourism Grants for the past decade to help fuel their missions are feeling whiplashed and confused after many have received major reductions in funding, while some recipient’s awards have been slashed altogether.
Everything about this year’s raft of tourism grants has been handled differently from years past. Grantees, in some cases, have been directed to earmark grant money to support events related to America’s 250 celebration and FIFA, which is taking place this summer in New Jersey. Directors from cultural organizations like The Angel Nyack and ArtsRock say they’ve been told monies must be tied to these events, rather than bolster year-round programs that are marketed outside Rockland County to attract tourism.
The Phoenix Festival, an arts organization that stages theatrical productions, suffered a 25 percent cut, from $8,000 in 2025 to $6,000 for this year. ArtsRock will receive $5,000 less this year, down from $11,000 last year to $6,000 in 2026. Friends of Harmony Hall received $8,000 this year, down from $20,000 last year. The organization said it will not stage its summer concerts this year, though it does plan to host a Colonial Day on May 16.
Organizations including The Penguin Rep Theatre, Riverwide Arts, Rockland County Historical Society, Garner Arts, and the Haverstraw Brick Museum got nothing from the tourism fund. It’s unclear how much money has been awarded, though some say only 18 organizations got grants, down from around 30 in prior years.
“We don’t know what happened,” said Craig Smith, director of Phoenix Festival. “This is devastating, particularly at a time when there have been national and state cuts to the arts.”
Directors of 16 organizations sent a letter on March 16 to Rockland County Executive Ed Day seeking clarity on why a consistent program that so many groups relied upon changed course this year, and with no warning. In the letter, they thanked the county for a decade-long commitment to the arts, history and culture, saying they have enjoyed partnering with Rockland County to “plan and advance the mission of bringing more visitors to our beautiful region.”
The letter went on to say, “for this reason, we were surprised and concerned by changes announced by the Department of Economic Development and Tourism regarding the 2026 Tourism and Contract Agency grants.”
Directors from these organizations say the substantial reduction in funding appears to indicate a “sudden shift in priorities that was not discussed or communicated in advance.”
Because the tourism grants have been so robust and steady over the past decade, even through the pandemic, most of these nonprofits and cultural groups are “facing unexpected financial challenges,” the letter said.
“I was disappointed in the reduction and surprised,” said Elliot Forrest, director of ArtsRock, who explained his organization was told to earmark the grant money for one event. “Never before have we been told to spend it on one specific event.”
Susan Wilmink, Board President of The Angel Nyack, applied for a $9,000 grant to promote weddings in the region but she turned down the $5,000 grant because she was told the money needed to be earmarked to support certain Global Rhythms events.
“We were told we had to support it on the Global Rhythms event,” referring to a planned concert in Nyack. “We have no details on what we’re supposed to be supporting.”
The organizations have been told that funding should help support two upcoming events: a July 3rd concert to celebrate America’s 250 birthday and the FIFA Global Rhythms programming in New Jersey. None of the soccer events will take place in Rockland County or in New York. FIFA Global Rhythms is a musical initiative creating an official album for each of the 16 host cities for 2026 World Cup.
Visit Nyack, which traditionally snagged the highest Rockland County tourism prize every year, received only $10,000 for 2026, a $20,000 reduction from last year.
For years, handing out tourism grants was the pride and joy for the County, typically holding an elaborate celebration in a venue that promoted tourism.
In 2025, Rockland County at a ceremony at The Angel Nyack awarded $316,750 in grants to 30 organizations, most of which had been receiving grants every year.
For years, Day reiterated tourism is a powerful driver of economic growth in the county, creating jobs, boosting local businesses and enhancing community infrastructure. Last year he said, since 2014, Rockland County’s sales tax revenue has consistently increased every year, except for 2020 due to pandemic shutdowns. “This achievement is a testament to our strategic investment in our local economy,” he said.
Day said the average household in Rockland would have to pay an additional $618 in yearly property taxes to maintain existing services without tourism-generated sales and local taxes. In 2023, tourism generated 6,860 jobs countywide and $556 million in visitor spending, an 8.4 percent increase over 2022, according to the county.
Organizations this year have been flabbergasted over the entire process. They say this is the first time there has not been a public ceremony to celebrate the grants, nor has a public list been distributed.
“There has been a lack of communication, clarity and guidance,” said Andrew Horn, director of the Penguin Rep Theatre. In past years, the organization has applied for both tourism and contract grants without a problem. This year Horn was told an applicant can’t apply for both – but he was told this after the fact.
In the joint letter to Day, the organizations said, “grant notices and applications for 2026 funding did not indicate that receiving one county grant would disqualify an organization from another, nor were past grantees informed that applications would now be limited to one per organization.”
Directors of the nonprofits say they’ve had trouble getting clear answers on the sea change and have asked for meetings. Rockland County Legislative Chairman Jay Hood has told the organization that he will meet with them to try to restore funding.
