Fireworks costs
Kettering: $75,000 for its Go 4th celebration on July at Delco Park, which includes $30,000 in fireworks.
Dayton: $54,000 for its show on July 3 at Deeds Point.
Centerville: $45,000 for its show at Centerville High School on July 4.
Beavercreek: $15,000 for its show at Rotary Park on July 4
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Area cities have had mixed results finding donors to foot the bill for their annual Independence Day fireworks that will brighten the nighttime skies beginning this weekend.
Some cities have successfully lined up private donors for their annual fireworks displays; in other towns, the city government is still paying full-freight for the shows.
A Dayton Daily News examination of fireworks contracts for shows this week found the cities of Dayton, Kettering, Englewood, Lebanon and Beavercreek will spend about $150,000 collectively — nearly all of it public funds — to put on their pyrotechnics displays.
The price tag does not include thousands of dollars in overtime for public employees to staff each of the events.
In cities like Fairborn, Moraine and Hamilton, however, officials have managed to get private contributions to pay for most of the costs of their fireworks displays.
This Independence Day arrives as cities across the state are discussing how to cut millions from their operating budgets, which will include numerous layoffs and fewer services to residents. The problems have some wondering if publicly funded fireworks are a good idea, but tradition in most cases won out.
“I think given the fiscal stress we are under, these types of government expenditures seem excessive,” said Matt Mayer, president of the Buckeye Institute, a conservative think tank. “Many cities have moved to private funding, which is, quite frankly, part of the rich tradition of the Fourth of July.”
Kettering spends the most public funds of any city in the area, at least $75,000 for its Go 4th celebration on July 4, capped by $30,000 worth of fireworks included in the price. City Manager Mark Schwieterman said an additional $5,000 is raised through sponsors for the event and he has worked hard to keep the cost flat year over year.
The city spent $62,000 in the event last year. Schwieterman could not provide overtime pay for the event.
“The bottom line is: This is a quality-of-life issue,” Schwieterman said. “Folks in our area look forward to the fireworks and there is a lot of demand for it.”
Dayton spends $54,000 for a 25-minute show at Deeds Point that will be held July 3. The city will spend about $10,000 in police overtime pay to provide security for the event.
LaShea Smith, the city’s director of recreation and youth services, said the city has trimmed the cost of fireworks from $82,000 in 2005. Dayton contracted with Zambelli Fireworks International, of New Castle, Pa., which provided a 10-percent discount from its submitted bid.
The Dayton fireworks are in conjunction with the CityFolk Festival, which costs about $350,000 and is funded through sponsorships.
That total price tag puts the downtown Dayton festival and fireworks event on par with Wright Patterson Air Force Base’s Freedom’s Call Tattoo. The Tattoo budget was about $500,000 — $167,000 of it paid through donations, including $90,000 in in-kind contributions from Cox Media Group Ohio, parent company of the Dayton Daily News.
The cost of the Tattoo fireworks alone was $33,199 and the show drew an estimated 75,000 people.
Some area residents agreed with Mayer, but said they look forward to the fireworks.
“Spending money on fireworks when you are talking about cuts is not something I would do if I was in charge,” said Sandra McKenzie, 36, while walking with her 8-year-old son near Fraze Pavilion in Kettering on Thursday. “I might donate to something like that if they asked, so I guess I am paying for it one way or another.”
Mark Brunsick, 28, of Jefferson Twp., said he loves to walk his dog near the Great Miami River and watch Dayton’s fireworks.
“They should try to get sponsors, I guess, but it would suck if they canceled it (for budget reasons),” he said. “I like that we still come together to celebrate our independence, even in the not-so-good moments.”
Centerville’s fireworks cost $45,000 and will be triggered by Rozzi’s Famous Fireworks of Loveland. The show caps the Centerville-Washington Twp. Americana Festival, which has a $157,000 budget and is funded largely through sponsors. Centerville and Washington Twp. each give $20,000 toward the event.
Centerville City Manager Greg Horn did not have overtime estimates for the event, but last year his police department accumulated about $4,700 in overtime for the event.
Cities like Englewood, Lebanon and Beavercreek spend between $9,500 and $15,000 for the fireworks. Lebanon and Beavercreek also use Rozzi; Englewood uses a company based in Edwardsburg, Mich.
Area cities like Moraine, Hamilton and Fairborn have similar costs for shows that are funded by sponsors.
Moraine Parks and Recreation Director Dave Miller said the city began accepting private donations last year for a $20,000 display. This year the Moraine Foundation is budgeting for a $10,000 show.
“You know how the economy is and how things got tighter, so we’ve had to work on partnerships with local business, and some have come through,” Miller said. “It’ll still be a good shoot, but, of course, the length of it and the number of shells will be less.”
When it comes to fireworks, the length of the show and size and frequency of the shells are all that matter, the contracts show.
Most area shows will last 20 to 28 minutes, with about a two- to three-minute finale. But the amount of fireworks launched during the show is where the cost can rise.
Centerville’s $45,000, 25-minute show will feature 1,709 shells, while Englewood’s $10,000, roughly 20- to 25-minute show features 509 shells.
Smith said Dayton’s fireworks are also more expensive because they have to fly higher than most for safety regulations. That means larger shells packed with more explosives and higher costs.
John Rozzi, president of Rozzi’s Famous Fireworks, said his profit margins have become thinner as cities have tried to curb costs while expecting deep discounts during the rough economy.
“We’ve lost contracts in the Dayton area because of tough times and things have become more competitive,” Rozzi said. “A lot of reasons cities eliminate them are because of the costs for police and fire service, but they also realize it’s really important to give this to their citizens.”
Rozzi said in most cases, cities or groups come with a specified budget and want the same length of show as in years past.
“It’s a tough business with a lot of competition, and this is our biggest time of the year,” Rozzi said. “We are willing to work with any budget and we usually can put together a good package.”
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2494 or lsullivan@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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