NORWICH – A $600 increase to the Chenango County Council of the Arts budget for next year narrowly missed the chopping block Oct. 12 during a meeting of the county’s Finance Committee.

The Arts Council, formed as an agency of the county in 1975, has worked within a $6,000 annual allocation from the county for more than a decade.

Supervisors from the towns of Pharsalia, Lincklaen and Guilford were poised to move the item through Finance last Friday and onto the county’s tentative 2008 budget without the 10 percent increase.

Before making a motion to cut the increase, Dennis Brown, D-Pharsalia, said county agencies should not be asking for an increase “no matter what it’s for.” Alton Doyle, R-Guilford, seconded. Town of Lincklaen supervisor Wayne Outwater said he didn’t know what the increase was for, but said he agreed it should be slashed.

Nonetheless, Brown’s motion was rescinded and the issue tabled after committee Chairman Lawrence Wilcox said he had not had a chance to read the minutes of a Planning & Economic Development Committee meeting where the budget had been approved - with the increase - just two days prior.