City Paying For Council Members' Ride in Chasco
City Council members decided Tuesday to pay for the creation of a float in the Chasco Fiesta street parade.
New Port Richey city council members decided Tuesday to spend $3,000 of general fund money on the creation of a float council members will ride in during the Chasco Fiesta street parade.
The Chasco Fiesta street parade is a popular part of Chasco Fiesta, the annual multi-day festival in downtown New Port Richey.
The city has historically participated in it with a float that council members ride on. When negotiating the city budget this past summer, city leaders cut funding for the float.
City subsidies in support of Chasco Fiesta have been a touchy subject in City Hall.
New Port Richey City Council members have debated cutting subsidies of city services that support the multi-day festival in recent years. The debate sparked backlash from planners, fans and supporters of Chasco.
During the budget process, city leaders agreed to allocate $30,000 toward subsidies of services supporting the 2013 Chasco Fiesta, which is coming up in April.
But on Tuesday, the City Council voted unanimously to pay to have a float in the parade. The item was on the consent agenda.
The money for the float will come from the city’s general fund, and the parks and recreation department will build it.
What do you think of the city's decision to pay for a float in the parade?
Spencer
9:10 am on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
$3000??
Sherry
1:10 pm on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Honestly, Spencer, I agree! What???? Don't I recall, people lost their jobs with the city!? The city was broke or going broke. They practically doubled our street light fees because of the seriousness of the situation. Now our ELECTED officials vote to spend $3000 ON A FLOAT!!????!!?!? If they want to have a float in the parade they should pound the pavement to get sponsorships to pay for it, not depend on taxpayer money for something so frivolous! Or literally do just that "pound the pavement" walk in the parade forget the float!
Charity
12:54 pm on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
It STINKS!! They should get DONATIONS like everyone else!!!
Raymond Rossi
2:56 pm on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
This is why the city is in the shape it's in ...
Ride the KREWE of CHASCO float and use my tax money for something important !!!
Michael Malterer
4:19 pm on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
I understand that $3000 won't bring anyone's job back but this is still a waste of taxpayer money.
Rob Marlowe
2:50 pm on Thursday, February 7, 2013
Alex tried to get a reaction from me to this Tuesday night, since I've been one of the most vocal critics of spending tax dollars on special events. Allow me to give you my take on this:
First off, the headline is a bit misleading. In recent years, the council members who have been on a city parade float have been in the minority, with most of the float participants being folks associated with the recreation department in some way.
As far as the expense is concerned, let's put this in perspective: We're talking about whether or not we should have a city presence in the biggest single day of the biggest special event held in the city. The float is projected to cost something less than 0.000068 of the city budget. The float is also less than what the City allocated as a sponsorship for the Seafood Festival coming up later in the year. As correctly noted, but not in context, the city's support of Chasco has been reduced by two thirds over recent years, to just $30k this year. That support should continue to decline as Chasco adjusts it's business model to account for the entire cost of the event.
The rec department did not field a float for the Christmas parade this year. It is my opinion that the reason the Chasco parade attracts the wrong / drunken crowd it does is because we've allowed big commercial floats to change the character of the event. making it a mini-Gasparilla. We would be better off with MORE local floats, not less.
Michael Malterer
9:50 pm on Friday, February 8, 2013
Let me clarify my last comment.
$3,000 is not a lot of money in the grand scheme of things but that is not the issue. The question is "Is this a proper use of tax dollars?" I do not feel it is. If the city staff would like for their department to have a float in the parade then there is no reason why they can't raise that money either among themselves or through donations but using tax dollars for a float is not what I would consider a proper use of tax dollars.