by Anders Hagstrom
The Democratic mayor of Minnesota’s capital cancelled the city’s annual 4th of July fireworks show Wednesday, claiming it required too many tax payer dollars.
St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter made the announcement on Facebook and clarified that while there would be no fireworks, there would still be a parade, Kare11 reported. Carter’s budget concerns come after years of disappointment in the city’s fireworks show that seems to shrink annually, causing many Minnesotans to attend competing shows nearby.
“As I’ve considered the budgetary priorities we manage across our city in the first year of my administration, I’ve decided I can’t in good conscience support spending tax dollars on a fireworks display in St. Paul this year,” he wrote.
“Over the past three years, the city partnered with CHS Field to hold fireworks on the 4th, but given the venue’s location and capacity, this was always intended as a short-term solution,” Mayoral spokeswoman Liz Xiong told the Pioneer Press. “As we considered all these factors this year, including the costs for fireworks, insurance and city department costs including fire, police and public works, the mayor could not in good conscience support spending upwards of $100,000 from the city’s budget.”
Carter has spent most of his time as Mayor pushing police reforms in the wake of several high-profile shootings of unarmed residents.
– – –
Anders Hagstrom is a reporter at Daily Caller News Foundation. Follow Anders on Twitter.
