MANKATO — A new mural, PrideFest, a chamber music festival and six other local initiatives by nonprofits would receive taxpayer-funded contributions under the proposed distribution of annual community grants by the city of Mankato.
The City Council budgets $15,000 a year for grants to music, art and other quality-of-life programming, although city leaders have traditionally been frugal with the allocation and rarely approve the entire amount. For 2021, however, a committee of staff and council members is recommending all $15,000 be distributed — still less than half of what was requested.
Only one applicant — The Christopher Center — received the entire amount solicited. The organization, which is in the Madison East Center and provides services for young children with…
