AMHERST — Five years ago, Amherst became one of the first communities in Massachusetts to adopt a Percent for Art bylaw, ensuring that school and town building projects priced at $1 million or more would incorporate permanent art installations 

The new elementary school being built at a cost of close to $100 million is the first project to trigger the bylaw, with about $50 million in eligible borrowing costs potentially generating $250,000 for art.

But because the money to support art is tacked onto the overall project costs, District 1 Councilor Cathy Schoen is proposing scaling back the amount that would support art, as a way of giving taxpayers some relief.

“A council vote to reduce the Percent for Art budget from $250,000 to $100,000 would acknowledge that this is a time of high budget stress while remaining committed to art work associated with the building,” Schoen wrote in a memo to councilors on Monday. “The vote to reduce the budget would recognize that $100,000 would decrease the debt exclusion by $150,000 raised from taxpayers to support the school.”

Schoen brought a motion to Town Council that evening, noting that $100,000 is still a lot of money for high-quality artwork, while saving taxpayers $150,000.

“Basically this amount of money would provide sufficient funds to commission probably multiple pieces of art, or one significant artwork or sculpture, and is a substantial amount of money,” Schoen said.

No vote was taken on the motion, with an anticipation of discussions with the Public Art Commission over the next two months. At Large Councilor Andy Steinberg made a successful motion to have councilors push off a decision on Schoen’s reduction request to mid-May.

At Large Councilor Mandi Jo Hanneke said she would need more information before supporting any constraints on spending for art.

“Art can be expensive, even if it’s not big,” Hanneke said. “Especially the commission, installation and insurance, given the insurance rates right now.”

Similarly, District 3 Councilor George Ryan said officials need to honor the spirit and letter of the bylaw. “I think it would be unfortunate for the very first time we make use of the bylaw we’re already reducing the amount,” Ryan said.

When voted by the Town Council in 2020, there was a provision to lower or eliminate a public art component of municipal projects by majority vote. In addition, the art could be on an adjacent site.

The Percent for Art bylaw was originally approved by Town Meeting in spring 2017, when at the time Amherst was joining Cambridge as the only communities with such a requirement. But that bylaw never got approvals needed from the state Legislature to be enacted.

If the Town Council makes no change, $250,000 would be incorporated into the school building project.

Public Art Commission Chairman Tom Warger told councilors this is the first time it is being used after work was done on it for many years. He said the commission is ready to assist the town manager, town committees and departments, and the public to make it a success.

“We stand ready and really very excited to work on this project,” Warger said.

Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.