By james art 
The Tallahassee Community Reversing Agency is suing a local non -profit purpose for breaching a contract, derived from a canceled public dollar -funded music festival.
CRA filed a case last month against Indaba, Incorporated, an entity related to theater and associates in India. The organization, headed by Donna Cotterell, provides programming of performing arts and youth summer camps. Cotterell has not yet responded to media inquiries about the trial.
The complaint states that Indaba applies for a grant funded by revenue generated through the tourist development tax, also known as a hotel bed tax. It said: “IndaBa funding for events included a music festival and a concert and a series of less cultural and performative events.”
The CRA Council approved the IndaBa funding in April 2024. The non -profit organization received $ 570,550 from the hotel bed tax. Of this, about $ 142,750 were intended to place the Far Funk and Blues Fest – a distribution provided by Leon County and Talahasi.
Initially, it was scheduled for January 6 at the Amphitheater Adderley Amphitheater in Cascades Park based on his grant application. Later, it was postponed until July 26 and moved to the Tucker Civil Center.
In an article on August 2024, at Talahasi Democrat, Kottel, a producer of the events of the festival, said the event was not funded since the beginning.
She canceled the show the day before Showtime – even when several artists travel to Talahasi, ready to perform and be paid in full.
“I hate that it falls on me because I never, I never wanted anyone to think that” Oh, she wasted the money, “Kottell said in the article.” All the money went to fund this event in the civil center. “
The lawsuit says that Indaba is limited by the use of funding, which can only be applied to cultural events, stage arts and education.
“Indaba failed to create the Music Festival and other events, as described in his application for grant financing and as required by the Grant Agreement in India,” the complaint said. “In addition, Indaba uses the grant funds that have been provided to him for other purposes that have not been authorized or authorized by the grant sentence.”
It was continued to say that the review of the receipts provided by the Indaba showed “unauthorized and misuse of grants.” CRA has requested that the grant ($ 142,750) be returned on the basis of the agreement and “to date the Indaba failed to cure the default and failed to return to the CRA, the grants provided to it.”
Contact the Economic Development Reporter Tamaryn Waters at tlwaters@tallahassee.com and follow @tamarynwaters at X.