Today was the call from Mayor Dickinson regarding the fate of the fireworks for 2013.
As he has done since 2009, he has not budgeted funding for the event.
In 2009 the Town Council restored the funding for the show from surplus funds from that year. Funding was cut again in 2010 and that was the year no action was taken to move funds from elsewhere.
I do not expect enough support from the current sitting Council to make funds available as was the practice since 2010 with pretty much the same Council makeup.
Despite having a $1.7 million dollar surplus, the Mayor has indicated that $26,656.00 is unavailable to support the show.
I followed up with the secondary ask that Wallingford cover the municipal services for the event (police, fire, and public works overtime) to the tune of approximately $13,000.00 and he maintained that zero funding was available.
The Town of Wallingford has $12 million plus dollars of cash balance just sitting in “the bank” earning menial interest (but interest just the same).
Let’s forget those funds for this discussion.
One percent interest on JUST the surplus funds from last year (one million, seven hundred thousand dollars) would generate $17,000.00 in new cash totally unencumbered.
That would be enough for the police, fire, and public works overtime for the Independence Day celebration AND also pay for public works overtime for the Veterans’ use of the ShowMobile on Memorial Day.
The money is there. The Mayor has simply chosen this to be eliminated from the budget for the fifth year running.
The additional tax burden to the Wallingford budget of $26,656.00 more to be raised, based on the taxes of a median priced home in Wallingford, would be an additional $1.30 (approximately, based on 2012 numbers).
For just half that amount – the amount of just the town services at $13,000.00 – you would be talking about $0.65 (sixty five cents) in additional taxes.
The people of Wallingford and Wallingford businesses have shown for three years running that this event should be held by their resolve to keep the event funded privately through fundraising.
I am confident that if they still have the same resolve as I do that this will be year four.
Another part of the discussion with the Mayor centered on the added costs to the pension plans because overtime calculates into those figures. As I explained to the Mayor, if that is an argument point, it is moot; by The Fund making the donation to the town and Wallingford hosting the event, that overtime still calculates into the pension.
2013 will be no different.
So we begin with a minimum goal of $30,000.00. Our operating costs are generally very low (printing, mailing, postage, etc.) runs us about $3,000.00 a year so with the show event cost of $26,656.00 we have our 2013 target.
If we should be fortunate enough to raise $36,000.00 we would also be able to restore the R Band to the performance; The Fund has not been able to achieve this to date.
(The R Band was present in 2012 due to $5,000.00 being made available from a funding reduction from the Parks and Recreation budget, something I do not expect to see repeated this year.)
The deadline to have the funds in to the Mayor is the same as it is each year – the last Friday in May (this year the 31st).
The show, if all the funds are collected and weather permitting, is to be held on Saturday July 6th.
There is no rain date – if the show is called on account of the weather it is cancelled.
So the countdown clock starts – T MINUS 95 days and counting.
Let’s roll Wallingford.
No comments:
Post a Comment