Fireworks on chopping block?

A Newark City Councilman suggested that the July 4th fireworks display could fizzle out next year.

At the council meeting Monday night, Jerry Clifton said budget problems and the fact that the majority of those attending the event live outside the city make the estimated $45,000 cost of the fireworks a candidate for elimination.

Clifton said one option is suspending the fireworks display until the city's finances improve. Clifton said no area, other than public safety, should be exempt from budget cuts. He added that he wanted to air the idea publicly prior to budget discussions. A number of towns and cities have dropped their fireworks displays

The city, unlike the state, operates on a calendar year and will approve a 2011 budget late this year.

City Finance Director Dennis McFarland said the city continues to see lower-than-anticipated revenues from transfer taxes and a shortfall in utility revenues. At the same time, McFarland believes that revenues will increase in the second half of the year, with spending and revenues coming in close to budget. Utility revenues are expected to increase, due to a rate increase and additional consumption during a hotter June and July. Those revenues could be partially offset by higher costs in buying power during periods of peak demand.

Motorists may also want to take care while driving in the city to avoid helping the city’s revenue picture. McFarland said the city expects to see more traffic ticket revenue, due to redeployment and added staffing of police in coming months.

The issue of park fees was discussed, with City Manager Kyle Sonnenberg confirming that he signed off on freezing the fees, due to the fact that net revenues had increased sharply, following an increase approved earlier. There had been plans to phase in fees over the next few years to the point that parks and recreation programs become self supporting.

Sonnenberg added that the city needs more time to determine how the higher fees affect enrollment. A few programs have been dropped, due to a lack of sign-ups.

Councilman Ezra Temko praised the freeze, but expressed concern about the effect of fee increases. He argued that quality of life considerations should also be part of the calculations. Continuing to increase fees will sharply reduce the number of programs and discourage potential residents from living in the city, he said.

Of concern to councilmen was the fact that enrollment in parks and programs have declined more sharply among city residents than non-residents, a factor that aided revenue, since city residents pay less. That led to discussion of the decision to stop mailing out information on parks and recreation programs. Feedback to the Parks and Recreation Department seemed to indicate that residents missed the newsletter.

One suggestion was the use of a postcard to let residents know that the offerings are online.

In other action, the council:

- Approved a special use permit beverage license for Seasons Pizza in Newark at 203 E. Main St. The license will be limited to beer and wine.

- Learned the University of Delaware plans to consolidate crosswalks on Delaware Avenue in an effort to improve safety and traffic flow.