Two Minneapolis City Council members are pitching a plan to ensure that funding for public arts can't be cut in the future, a move that comes as city leaders wrangle over spending in next year's budget.

Council Members Elizabeth Glidden and Kevin Reich are drafting an ordinance that would codify Minneapolis' tradition of setting aside a certain percentage of the city's bond debt — usually about 2 percent — for developing new public art projects and maintaining those already installed.

In the past few years, that amount has ranged between $203,000 and $605,000. This year, however, Mayor Betsy Hodges' budget plan doesn't dedicate any money for artwork; the mayor's office noted that nearly $900,000 still remains in the city's arts fund from previous years' allocations.

While Hodges said she intends to continue funding the arts in 2016, Glidden and Reich want to make sure it's a requirement rather than a promise.

"I think this would provide protection in future years," Glidden said. "It gives consistency to our commitment and investment in public art, and not just new pieces; a really important consideration is how you are caring for what you have already installed."

Glidden noted that other cities have ordinances that provide set funding for art. That includes St. Paul, which since 2009 has dedicated 1 percent of money spent on public projects for art.

Separately, council members gave preliminary approval Monday to dedicating $25,000 in the 2015 budget to public art restoration. Glidden said that money would come out of allocations for the convention center and another arts-related program.

The council members plan to give notice of their plans to introduce a resolution on the issue at Friday's council meeting.

Erin Golden • 612-673-4790