Independence Day Costs Need Tally

Omega Psi Phi steppers in 2007 July 4 parade.

Details on costs of the annual Independence Day celebration remain elusive after six years of City Council inquiries.

The governing body has repeatedly requested a full accounting of all expenses for the multi-day event, which includes fireworks and a parade this year and in the past has included a concert as well. (See a 2006 Plaintalker post here.) Once a shared effort among eight municipalities, the former Central Jersey celebration is now organized and paid for solely by Plainfield. Council members have asked for a breakdown of costs as other municipalities have dropped such observances altogether for budgetary reasons. The council came close to doing the same in 2009 (read post here).

In 2010, the council authorized $50,000 for the celebration, with an additional amount for fireworks and use of Cedar Brook Park. What was not spelled out was use of $5,000 in additional city funds for radio station WBLS to be part of the celebration, even though local participants had to pay to be in the parade.

On June 20, the council approved $13,500 for fireworks on Friday, July 1 and $8,484 for use of the park. The latter amount includes a refundable $5,000 for cleanup and $3,484 for five Union County police officers at $52 per hour. At a special meeting on July 5, the council will be asked to approve $44,000 for Independence Day expenses for the 2012 six-month transitional fiscal year, as the city reverts to a calendar year. The funds will be applied to this year’s celebration, which includes fireworks on July 1 and the parade on July 2.

The city was lacking a chief finance officer from the end of 2007 to January 2011, but now has Ron Zilinski, a highly regarded expert on municipal finance, as CFO and city treasurer. A conversation between Zilinski and Councilman Adrian Mapp, head of the council’s Finance Committee, at the June 14 meeting hinted at tighter controls on spending in the Recreation Division, which is in charge of the Independence Day celebration in addition to youth recreation activities.

Plaintalker suggests that any review of costs for the Independence Day celebration should take into account donations from local businesses or organizations, as well as volunteer service by police or other city employees, that offset the bottom line. And donations that were solicited and given for a specific cause such as the Independence Day celebration should not be diverted to random uses, as was apparently the case with the $20,000 paid to WBLS for broadcasting the Aug. 1, 2010 Town Meeting that is still under investigation.

On June 14, Councilman Cory Storch asked the administration to make sure the July 1 fireworks event was properly publicized, if the city was going to spend $13,500 on it. Plaintalker would add a request for more details on the parade, such as the grand marshal’s identity and any special attractions such as bands or floats. There is a flyer on the city web site with dates and times (9:30 p.m. July 1 for fireworks, 10 a.m. start on July 2 for parade), but the city has not posted any press releases since February.

--Bernice