Heritage Festival held out until the final budget vote, but the Downers Grove Village Council decided it had to get the boot to justify other cuts.
Now the plan is to see if there are other community groups willing to take on Heritage Festival or something similar, Downers Grove village spokesman Doug Kozlowski said.
After eliminating Heritage Festival for 2010, the village is expecting cost savings of $494,000.
“I don’t think anyone is aware of if their group can handle it or not,” Kozlowski said. “It remains to be seen if there will be an entity out there who wants to take on Heritage Fest or a similar event.”
Commissioner Geoff Neustadt was adamant about the need to have Heritage Festival in 2010 because of the tourism the event brings into the village and the sales tax revenue it generates.
Cost-effective suggestions to host Heritage Festival were brought up by residents and members of the board, but Kozlowski said it is impossible to say what those would be right now.
“There is no definite at this point to whether or not it will return in 2011,” Kozlowski said. “Nothing at this moment has been determined.”
Village officials decided to maintain Counseling and Social Services until the end of the year to guide those in need to other centers for help.
The CSS program will continue through Dec. 31 on a referral-basis only.
