FILLMORE : Chamber to Pay for Fireworks Show

Fillmore’s Chamber of Commerce has agreed to pay $3,000 for a Fourth of July fireworks display that was threatened by city budget cuts, the City Council announced Tuesday.

Chamber President Dale Crockett said his organization would solicit voluntary financial donations from fireworks vendors and the public for the display, instead of accepting a city proposal to charge each service club staffing fireworks booths a $200 fee.

“I don’t foresee a problem coming up with the money,” Crockett said.

In past years, the city has split the cost of an evening fireworks extravaganza with Pyro Spectaculars, but the event was one of many frills trimmed during last year’s budget planning.

Council members were reluctant to cancel the display because they said it helps justify the sale of fireworks, which are illegal in all other cities in Ventura County. Out-of-town buyers are invited to attend the evening event and shoot off their own mini-displays in Fillmore as a warm-up to the main event.

The city’s plan to bill vendors met with protest from service club representatives, who said at last month’s council meeting that the fee was arbitrary and would make inroads on profits that the clubs use to fund a variety of youth activities and special events. For most of the organizations, fireworks sales are a primary source of revenue.

Crockett said most of the vendors support the fireworks display but would prefer to give voluntarily.