Williams Lake’s Halloween fireworks budget will be increased to $12,000 for 2024.
City council approved the amount at the regular meeting Tuesday, Dec. 2 in a vote of four-to-three.
Mayor Surinderpal Rathor, councillors Scott Nelson, Sheila Boehm and Flaspohler were in favour, while councillors Jazmyn Lyons, Michael Moses and Angie Delainey were opposed.
Normally the city budgets $6,000 for the fireworks display, with the exception of two years ago when there was some extra COVID funding left over from a cancelled Family Day event, said Stacy Miranda, director of community services.
As it has in other years, the city received a request to look at other options for fireworks in 2023.
Council tasked staff with looking at other options, such as laser or drone shows, but in the end decided to go with the regular fireworks display but survey residents after Halloween.
In early November the city put out a 2023 Halloween Show Prefernce Survey.
Council received a report about the survey results at the meeting prepared by Kaitlyn Atkinson, manager of recreation and leisure services, who noted 924 people answered the survey.
When respondents were asked what budget number should be given to the event, the average amount overall requested was $12,000 per year, Atkinson noted.
She also said 77 per cent of the respondents were in favour of seeing the fireworks show continue, 90 per cent of respondents attend the annual Halloween event, and the most requested additions to the event were a haunted house or children’s games, music and a costume contest.
Coun. Joan Flaspohler said she was glad the city had put out the survey because it gave council the opportunity to reach out to the community and find out what people’s thoughts are.
Coun. Scott Nelson thanked the sommunity for participating in the survey and made a motion that $12,000 be allocated to the fireworks budget in 2024.
“The public has spoken overwhelmingly in support of fireworks,” he said.
Coun. Angie Delainey and Coun. Jazmyn Lyons said they did not agree with increasing the fireworks budget as council is being asked to trim the city’s budget.
In favour of the increase, Coun. Sheila Boehm said there are very few things the city puts on.
“It’s one event where we can have fireworks because it’s cold enough,” she said.
READ MORE: Williams Lake preparing for Halloween fireworks display
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