Fireworks erupted in the Tallahassee commission chambers Wednesday as commissioners considered a request to help fund the city’s New Year’s Eve Fireworks display.
Commissioner Nancy Miller says, the city has already committed about $21-thousand for the New Year’s Eve event.
“The utilities customer services has already obligated $2,500. The police and in kind services including waste pick up and so on is totaling over $10,500 and in addition to that they’re getting $8,000 from the CRA,” Miller says.
Miller says she just can’t support spending more on the event, especially since she says the city doesn’t get much recognition for its support. And Commissioner Gil Ziffer says he's concerned by the timing for the request.
"I want to be supportive and I think this is a great community event. I know that a lot of people turn out for it and I know it’s something people expect every year, which may be part of the problem in that there is an expectation on some level that we do this," Ziffer says.
The commissioners agreed to provide $6-thousand, but commissioners specified they’d like to be listed as sponsors and warned organizers they wouldn’t be funding the program under the same circumstances next year.