For the past three years, community members have enjoyed a Fourth of July party at Barney Schwartz Park in Paso Robles. This year, changes are being made to the budget to ensure the event can go on.
The Public Works Department is working to find ways to fund this year's Fourth of July event.
“Our base budget right now is $100,000 — a $65,000 approved allocation from the council, $35,000 from our event partner Travel Paso," said Freda Berman, Paso Robles Public Works Director. "With the reductions in the budget, we think it's going to cost $160,000 this year to run the event, so we're going to be reaching out to our other community partners to bridge that gap.”
According to Berman, with fewer sponsor donations last year, they had to use money leftover from previous events. With those funds now drained, they’re looking at other options for this year.
One option includes shortening the event and starting festivities at 4 p.m. There are also plans to have only one band instead of two.
“You have to do certain things to prepare a safe event for 10,000 people," Berman added. "Private security, you know, traffic control. We have to prep parking lots.”
Vendors don’t pay a fee to be part of the event and the bands and private security are hired. This added with the holiday pay for staff working the event quickly add up.
Berman says they’ve considered multiple ways to cut costs.
“Private security was considered, but it was never really on the table because it's so important for the safety of the event," Berman said.
The cost of the fireworks show is the difference the city is trying to make up.
“I think the fireworks are definitely worth it," said Paso Robles resident Gregory Stetz. "That's the Fourth of July.”
Once applications close, city council members will decide on vendors and a band that fits most appropriately with the event.
