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NEW YORK, NY April 29, 2008 —Good government groups and several of the city's editorial writers are calling for reforms to the City Council's methods of funding non-profits. An alternative process is already in operation. WNYC's Bob Hennelly has more.

REPORTER: Historically, city's arts groups had to pursue city funding as if it were buried treasure... Now they all have the same map... of a fully transparent peer reviewed grant process.

Mayor Bloomberg, Speaker Christine Quinn and the Department of Cultural Affairs came up with the reform last year.

Alliance for the Arts president, Randall Bourscheidt:

BOURSCHEIDT: What they did was essentially removing the decision making from the political sphere and placed it into an open an transparent process.

REPORTER: Last year 865 arts groups split $35 million dollars.

When speaker Quinn suggested expanding this process earlier this month, to all Council funded non-profits it was roundly rejected by the Council as ceding too much power to the Mayor.

For WNYC I am Bob Hennelly .