K99.3 FM Listen Live
1520AM Listen Live
Knox City Council Discusses Fireworks Celebration
Back Row: Mayor Rick Chambers, Ed Blue, Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston, Greg Matt and Attorney David Matsey. Front Row: Linda Berndt, Jeff Berg and Ron Parker
The topic of fireworks came up again at the most recent meeting of the Knox City Council. Even though it’s billed as the Starke County Fireworks celebration, Mayor Rick Chambers explained to the Council that the City has been on the losing end monetarily while trying to support the effort.
“A fireworks contract was sent to me…what do we want to do with the fireworks?” Mayor Chambers asked the City Council. “We took quite a beating on that this year really because of the weather. We didn’t collect what we had collected in the past. Starke County didn’t donate like they’ve donated in the past. We got stuck with $4,700 which was the City’s cost this year. Last year, it cost us $640. We hustled, we worked, we got donations, and this year it sort of fell through with the economy and the bad weather that night.”
Councilwoman Linda Berndt has been put in charge of a committee to study ways of raising more money going into the event.
November 4th, 2011 at 8:59 pm
I know everyone is trying to get this done with out tax payers money and the mayor and his crew did put alot of work into last years. Open it up to vendors charge $25.00 or $50.00 for a 10×10 area and everybody pays, vendors, sports groups, people running for office, They all come in and make money at this event they should be giving something back. I always thought $5.00 dollars a car was not enough maybe charge by the person. Rather then hit up businesses for donations sell them advanced tickets they can give away to thier customers. Get a local group to do a 50/50 raffle. Maybe get one of the remote control plane groups to set up a display and a small air show with their planes. Maybe a burn out contest (far away from the crowd of course) Just a few Ideas