ORLANDO, Fla. — This week, leaders from Orlando Fringe and Tampa Fringe are calling on Gov. Ron DeSantis to reconsider his decision to cut tens of millions of dollars in arts funding from the state budget.

Just last month, the governor vetoed more than $30 million dollars in arts funding and cited Fringe festivals as part of the reason, saying they are sexual in nature. 

In an open letter to DeSantis, leaders from Orlando and Tampa Fringe are now saying they don’t want to be included in this year's budget in the hopes that the funding would be reinstated.

What You Need To Know

  • Orlando and Tampa Fringe are calling on Gov. Ron DeSantis to reconsider his decision to cut arts funding from the state budget
  • In an open letter sent to DeSantis, Orlando and Tampa Fringe leaders say they don’t want any money from the state this year
  • They said the hope is the governor will undo his veto and provide funding to arts and entertainment organizations if Fringe is not included

“These roads are important. I can sell that. Educations important. I can sell that. Preserving our natural resources. Important. I can sell that. I can’t sell the Fringe Festival to taxpayers,” DeSantis said in June. 

It’s that message that Orlando Fringe interim executive director Scott Galbraith and his team are trying to correct. 

“We don’t accept the terms that were positioned at the press conference,” Galbraith said. “It may not have been thoroughly scripted for the governor, so we want to make sure we rethink that thinking.”

Galbraith says fringe is known as an arts festival, and while adult content is included, it is accompanied by warnings and age restrictions.

“None are sexual festivals,” Galbraith said. “Is there adult content? Sometimes. But that is chosen by lottery. It’s not curated by us.”

Orlando and Tampa Fringe leaders penned a letter to the governor, asking him to reconsider his veto of $32 million in arts funding.

Galbraith said they’re willing to take themselves out of this year’s funding and ensure Fringe is defined on their own terms.

“We’re Fringe festivals, so we thought if we take ourselves out for this one year, on a non-precedent basis, that would enable him to go ahead and reverse or overturn the veto,” Galbraith said. 

He said that defunding the arts could have a ripple effect across the state. 

Galbraith fears programs and salaries could get cut and area businesses near art and entertainment sectors could feel the pinch.

“My goal is to minimize the effect to the public, so that we can continue to provide the service that we generally provide because that will only strengthen our grant funding to the state for the following year,” Galbraith said.  

In their letter, Fringe leaders also want to host DeSantis and his family and aids at their festivals next year. 

In response to the letter, DeSantis’s press secretary referred Spectrum News 13 to the comments the governor made in June where he said he can’t sell Fringe festivals to taxpayers.

Without grant funding this year for Orlando Fringe, Galbraith said he’s working hard to not lose any of his staff or reduce their salaries.