UPDATED: In Your Words: Special Event Cost Recovery

A proposal for the city to recover the costs it pays to support parades and parties downtown has stirred debate. Now, with a proposal to sponsor the largest event downtown coming to the city council for a vote, some of the discussions are about whether the city should OK a sponsorship of $40,000 in support of the event.

Read how the conversation has evolved since recovery was proposed tthis summer. Keep talking, and you can see your comment featured on Patch. And you can also stay informed on the issue by reading the stories featured below.

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I sure don't want my money wasted on these "special events and parties", let the organizers pay. If they can't afford it then it must not be worth it anyway. It's not the city's responsibility to make sure they make money. What a BIG WASTE of my tax dollars! The city better not give these handouts to the party people and raise my taxes! I have a small business in town and the chairman of the chamber of commerce came in and blasted the city. No wonder Mr. Marlow and the city leaders have a problem with him and he's supposed to be FOR business? He was going door to door with his tirade. Why don't he work with the city or look for a new job. It looks like we can do without the chamber of commerce and that main street bunch, nothing but demanding their share of our taxes for their parties over and over. Nonprofits are not the responsibility of the city. If the city has enough money for this foolishness why have they been laying off people? So they can keep these idiots running? Why? As for Chasco it's a drunkfest causing trouble for everybody except 30 nonprofits while degrading the Indians. What a nice thing.

For 17 years I have lived 2 blocks from Main Street and all the events. The surrounding neighborhood takes a severe beating. Half of the trash from these "special" events gets thrown into our beautiful river and the other half ends up in our front lawns. I have removed people urinating and even 1 drunk woman defecating in my yard. I have resulted to renting a port-o-potty and placing it and garbage cans in my front yard for 2 weeks during Chasco. Maybe I can bill the city for the service ? As for the event bunch, the majority of these people saying the city should continue to pay actually do not even live in the city. They throw the party we pay the bill. The chamber has long had a sweetheart deal with a prime river front office location they stay in for next to nothing. Their president although not living in the city must think that he owns it as he cannot even park his car in designated parking but choses to block the boat ramp entrance because its closer to the door in his free office ... The citizens of the city do not want to pay for these events from our tax dollars any more ! Let them take care of themselves or let them go somewhere else. Maybe Mr. Alpine can have the parade in his front yard this year...

I just know that other non-profits that do not benefit from Chasco and have fundraisers on public property have to pay the fees. They don't get any breaks.

If Chasco is moved is it still Chasco? It was created to help fund the library and would not be here without the city. The Hudson Seafood Fest moved one year and loss a good deal of spectators, however they do provide tangible benefits to the community in the form of street lighting and sidewalks, should the WPCC do something along those lines the benefits would be easier to argue. There is also no guarantee that Port Richey or Pasco County would pay the extra cost if the event moved out of the city. I think they have forgotten what the celebration is about; the cultural heritage of the CITY of New Port Richey. If you want a real say about city finances then join the 15,000 residents that pay city taxes. If the event does leave Ill be one of the first people to make sure the real Chasco Fiesta is celebrated, in some fashion, where it belongs.

The City, like all the surrounding cities, absolutely should require full reimbursement of expenses. In this economy, there are no more free rides for anyone!!!! Raising fees and taxes for events like these, is not the answer and will drive the taxpayers out of the City.

The Gasparilla Parade is enjoined with the history of the City of Tampa. Does it get a free-ride from Tampa City Council? If so, then the Chasco Parade has an argument. If not, I don't like their stance of pay for it with tax dollars or we will leave. I also don't agree that the business pay-offs of a special event are "not-measurable" for the City. If you can't measure them, then they likely don't really exist. As a City resident and a tax-payer, I don't like subsidizing a parade I won't let my children participate in because of the rift-raft it attracts. There are other ways to raise money for non-profits that don't require drunken street brawls, bead-throwing, and chaos.

The following comments were in response  to blogger Tim Cronin's post on how event cost recovery could affect musicians.

You are right & Tim & it's quite concerning. Most of the musicians & locals that I've spoke with about this (95%) are unaware of what is even going on!!! For many locals events like the Christmas Parade & Chasco Fiesta are the only 2 events they look forward to every year. But when those same people wake up next March & there is NO Chasco THEN they'll be upset!!! I know these budget issues are quite unprecedented due to the tough economy, & many other local cities & principalities are going through similar budget problems & slashing public events, but if NPRichey does the same it will only affect the city's image in a bad way, IMO. Next year would be the 90th anniversary of the Chasco Fiesta & it'd be very tragic if the 89th Chasco was the last one, which is a possibility!!! And when the Chasco Fiesta Facebook page is suggesting former music headliners like Blake Shelton might consider playing for free then you know it's bad!!! My suggestion is to get as many locals to CALL THE CITY OF NEW PORT RICHEY & TELL THEM YOU WANT YOUR CHASCO FIESTA NEXT YEAR!!! If enough people express their outrage & disappointment then MAYBE we can change their minds on this!!! The tel # for the New Port Richey City Hall is (727) 853-1016.

, chairman of the city's Cultural Affairs Advisory Committee responded:

Simply saying that these events help the city is not enough. Where is the proof? There is certainly proof to the contrary; 6.75% reduction in overall property values, 20.3% residential vacancy rate, 73.6% high school diploma, national average 80.4%, bachelor degree or higher 7.7%, national average 24.4%, median household income $25,881, national average $41,994 and all those vacant storefronts downtown. These events are quite enjoyable and offer entertainment where there is none but to say that these events have help the city and its residents is quantitatively incorrect.

- Data from 2010 census

Deputy Mayor chimed in.

Guys,

Because of Florida's Sunshine statute has not caught up with the Internet age, I am somewhat limited in what I can say here, especially if one of my fellow council members might read it. That being said, let me give you some general information that is already in the public record:

Some special events can and do make more than enough to cover their expenses, including the cost of the city services they request. Some do not, mostly I suspect because those city services have always been "free" and the event organizers have never had to factor the cost of those services into their budgets. I expect event organizers will look to raise revenues where they can (eg. Parade entry fees) and take a long, hard look at minimizing the use of things that are very expensive (eg. parade barricades hauled by city workers to and from Land O Lakes.)

Events with live music are going to need to look at the cost of the talent they bring in. I'm not privy to Chasco's music budget, but I know folks who went to the country concert and left after the local acts because the high priced headliner wasn't as good as the locals.

The 2012 city budget is beyond ugly. Call me at my office (847-2424) and make an appointment to sit down with me and I'll walk you through the numbers and talk with you about some of the options.

I am hopeful that the special events committee will be able to come up with ideas that will help everyone make it through some very tough times.

also lent her voice.

Tim, I hate to break it to you but your "downward spiral theory" has been reality for many years. Many people probably do not know that the majority of the bands playing local events are either asked to play for free or for such small amounts each band member may walk away with a few dollars in their pocket. I say this having been involved on both sides of the fence at one time or another. The only bands who are paid well, generally, are the d-list national bands that headline.The amount paid to each band after that dwindles to nothing as you progress down the schedule from the top. Maybe things have changed in the last few years, but with the financial problems these NPOs are facing, I tend to think it's only worsened.

Perhaps it's time for some serious self assessment of the events to pinpoint problems that may be effecting turnout. Why not survey other successful events to find out what worked? Take Safety Harbor's Third Friday event as an example-it started out small with low attendance and grumbling business owners who wouldn't stay open late but they kept at it, kept improving it and promoting it and working with the biz owners..now it's a thriving event. The businesses stay open late and are packed, the NPO's who participate are happy, the bands are paid well, the vendors are happy and the visitors keep coming back..and I haven't researched it, but my guess is it's financially self-sustaining by now.

I remember when the Chasco was a fun little event.
The gathering, now, is beyond my own enjoyment, for the most part
(and the screaming for beads, is part of why).

There are some terrific details in the festival,
like the footrace, the pow wow
and, even though I dont like what it's become,
the street parade seems to induce smiles, still.

I am not fully aware of all angles here,
but do know, that it was meant, initially,
to be a fundraiser for non-profits (back in the day, it was the library).
When we spend more than the NPOs raise, something is WRONG.

It seems to me that if all side stop the posturing,
and practice tolerant, respectful debate and work for a solution TOGETHER
that the town,the chamber and non profits would benefit.

To the chamber: scale BACK (if only for the next few years)!
Making this a FOUR day event would greatly reduce the costs, for everyone.
Regarding the professional carnival: having such a midway carnival only diverts
money from the local non-profits, to leave town with the carnies.
The boat parade could be nixed with ease.
Act like you WANT to stay in town
by COOPERATING rather than by drawing your line in the sand.

To the city council:
Perhaps it makes more sense to let the Chasco go,
if they don't want to scale back.
Start up an (NPO event) Old Home Day
and stick to the BASICS
by WELCOMING people into town who love the place.
The crowds would be smaller,
but then, so would the costs.

Hey Spellbinding Sherry,

You and a few others here have the right idea. It (Chasco) has become something it was never intended and all I can say is that the CITY has tried to get it worked out. I don't get the "line in the sand" approach, that never works. Lia and Derek are spot on. Tim, you need to keep open ears and mind. The more Chasco folks posture for the worst maybe that's what they want. The Holiday Parade as well as a couple of other events were solved in one meeting. The Special Events Committee has done an excellent job helping the City work out the problems special events have caused. The Chasco event has taken many meetings already and a total City Council work session coming up. Compromise or lose! It would be a loss for us all. Too many Chiefs and not enough Indians.

Why can't inmates with minimal charges do the set ups and cleanups and be given time off for community service?

That sounds like a good idea to me too. There is also the juvenile detention center too. Fisher Honey Bees was a vendor there last year and hopes to be back in 2012. We really do not want to see an increase in vendor fees.

The police already have to be on site for these things anyway so I don't see where it would use much more manpower to oversee these details

Inmates was my first thought, too.. they do use operation payback, but seeing them at the park, looks like they do MINIMAL work... have them do some real cleanup (in town after the parade, etc)...have them set up & remove barricades... any and all "scut" work that is presently paid for... gives them something to do, saves the event money & might help keep chasco in new port richey

Are the 'books' open for examination to determine the exact cost of this event?