Heritage Festival scaled back further amid tight budget

The Downers Grove Village Council will reduce Heritage Festival in 2010 and find ways to pull the village out of hosting the festival after next year.

Village Manager Dave Fieldman said an extra $69,000 was realized in savings after eliminating the National Championships of Cycling Bike Race and performers for the Independence Day parade.

“This revision reduces expenses and reduces planned use of cash from the reserves,” Fieldman said.

With the reduction in Heritage Festival, $910,000 will be spent from the reserve fund. Originally, village officials discussed spending $1 million on the festival, Fieldman said.

Commissioner Marilyn Schnell said she has a hard time justifying a three-day party when more important things are being cut and property taxes are being raised.

“You all know how I feel about the property tax increase,” Schnell said. “I can’t in good conscience throw a $300,000 party and throw out some officers.”

Commissioner Bob Barnett suggested the village scale back in 2010 and try to beat the budget and get out of the entertainment business in 2011.

“It means the village is out of the business to put the party on,” Barnett said. “We will still have a role (but) some other group will be putting it on.”

Commissioner Geoff Neustadt said he would like Heritage Festival to be kept for 2010 and figure out ways to reduce costs and find sponsors before eliminating it all together.

Commissioner William Waldack said he would like to see the festival continue at a reduced amount for the nonprofits and have the community events group generate a new game plan.

“We have time before we finalize the budget,” Waldack said. “I would like to see what they come up with.”

Even though contracts have not yet been signed for Heritage Festival, and the village is not bound to put on the summer celebration in 2010, Barnett agreed to support it for one more year.

“I still don’t think this is a core business,” Barnett said. “I support to scale back and should there be any savings, we still have a million dollar deficit out there. We are proposing to spend a million more than we taken in, that is a problem.”

Barnett said the decision to run a deficit is not something he is in support of, and he would like to see Heritage Festival eliminated.

Commissioner Bruce Beckman said he would support the festival for another year and support staff coming up with an alternate plan to outsource the festival.

Sponsorship for Heritage Festival is something Commissioner Sean P. Durkin would like to see happen this year and for years to come.

“If there is a way to reduce expenses further in 2010, I am all for it, if there is a way to get a sponsor for the tent or stage,” Durkin said. “Let’s see how this year goes, streamline and make it more efficient.”

Mayor Ron Sandack said he does not want to eliminate Heritage Festival, but he would rather do that than see two cops, the counseling service or the taxi cab subsidy go.

“We need something that celebrates our heritage and not a lot more,” Sandack said. “My gut told me to suspend it this year and bring it back in a different form with potential sponsorships, but again that is just one person.”

Fieldman said village staff will continue to look at ways to “beat the budget” and look at ways to further reduce expenditures on Heritage Festival.