WESTMINSTER : City Drops July 4 Fireworks Display
The city will not hold its annual fireworks display this Fourth of July because of budget cuts, officials said.
The program costs the city between $23,000 and $25,000 for fireworks and staff overtime, Community Services Director Penny Lumer said.
“It was a difficult thing for the council to decide,” she said. “But these are difficult economic times, and when you’re looking at the total budget and places to trim, it’s difficult to talk about spending $25,000 on a fireworks show when you’re debating layoffs.”
Next year, the city is considering asking local businesses to help sponsor the show and charging residents a fee.
The free fireworks display had been held for the past three years at Westminster High School and attracted up to 10,000 people, Lumer said.
The city has notified residents about the cancellation through elementary schools, cable television announcements and water bills and listed alternative sites to enjoy fireworks this Independence Day.
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