Cincinnati City Council's $1 million plan to subsidize the construction of arts facilities — which seemed assured of easy passage last week — suddenly met with heated debate Monday.

        Eight council members have signed on to Councilman James R. Tarbell's plan to divvy up arts funding, with the Taft Museum of Art and the Cincinnati Opera getting most of it.

        But the ninth council member, Vice Mayor Alicia Reece, brought forward a new plan Monday. She would use downtown development money to fund half of the Taft expansion, freeing $200,000 for smaller groups.

        In particular, Ms. Reece wants to fund the restoration of the Empire Theater on Vine Street in Over-the-Rhine, and the Arts Consortium in the West End.

        Both projects are run by African-American groups. Ms. Reece said the city's arts funding should be more “inclusive.” When some council members balked at Ms. Reece's plans — the Empire is a for-profit venture, and the consortium has no current building plans — she accused colleagues of having “two sets of rules.”

        “When we have issues like Saks Fifth Avenue,” which received a $6.6 million subsidy from the same development fund Ms. Reece wants to use for the arts, “there's less debate than when we talk about Vine Street in Over-the-Rhine,” she said.

        Mr. Tarbell objected to Ms. Reece's assertion that his plan wasn't diverse, saying it gives $100,000 for arts groups in neighborhoods including Walnut Hills and Kennedy Heights.

        A vote is expected Wednesday.

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