We’re not sure on which planet the Española City Council resides but to even let the passing idea of spending money on a fireworks display linger for two seconds is irresponsible governing.
Fireworks are great. Given the choice of a parade or a great fireworks display, every time you have to go fireworks.
No? Ever hear anyone say “oooooh” or “wooooow” as a parade float went by? The oohs and aaahs at a fireworks display roll through a crowd and come in unison. They’re great and never the same.
But fireworks displays are not cheap. A five to 10 minute low-altitude display can easily ring the register at $10,000 to $30,000. That’s a lot of money. That’s an insane amount of money for a couple thousand people to go ooh and aah for 10 minutes.
If you’re a municipality flush with cash, a non-profit that fundraised all year to present a fireworks show or a private company with the budget for it, that’s great. Fireworks away.
But outside of the federal cash raining down on public entities all over the country, no one is in good financial condition right now. Rio Arriba County’s budget is upside down. The Española School District gained some revenue and lost some, finally giving employees small raises just to help offset their increased insurance costs next fiscal year.
Española city councilors spent many hours over the last two weeks of May picking useless nits in this year’s budget, only to adopt last year’s budget with a couple of positions added. In short, we’re poor.
The city council spent a huge amount of time during its May 11 meeting councilors taking turns repeating what the previous councilor said saying the city deserved it and everyone hit the nail on the head and we need this.
No one spoke about the city council’s responsibility to spend taxpayer money to the best of their ability. This meeting was just before the budget meetings where they took turns trying to get money for their pet projects and favorite department. There were hours of complaining and arguing over lost positions and poor Judge Martin Martinez losing his clerk and no raises.
It’s true this $30,000 is what public accountants like to call different colored money because it can’t be spent on raises and personnel and cop cars or street lights. It has to be spent according to a very vague state statute that reads it will be spent to promote the city, primarily through tourism.
However, this money became “money from home” when the council passed a resolution that did two very different things. First it released $145,000 in a budget adjustment to pay off a loan. Unrelated to that was the release of $30,000 to put on a fireworks display.
We reached out to city Finance Director Jessica Ortiz to find out how much was in the Lodgers Tax fund but did not hear back. The procedure in place is the Lodgers Tax board reviews requests and makes recommendations to the city council. Of course historically the council does whatever it wants anyway but the illusion of a second review and recommendation lends some professionalism to the process. That Board has not met since fall 2019.
Yes, the argument can be easily made that a fireworks display could bring people to Española to watch the display and spend money. That argument is often made and never backed by real numbers.
We question where someone would spend money during one night in Española. They would probably end up staying at one of the Indian-owned hotels, where the city would not benefit from Gross Receipts Tax nor Lodgers Tax because pueblos pay neither.
We might pick up a little Gross Receipts Tax on gas and food but seriously, that can’t be much.
We understand the mental aspect of being quarantined and restricted and distanced and all those other catchy virus terms. And we do all deserve a break. But let’s be reasonable, and responsible.
We know we’re the ants at the picnic but the city of Española has no business spending Lodgers Tax funds on fireworks. Several councilors lauded the electric light parade and arts festival as worthy recipients of Lodgers Tax money. You can’t question that. Those are much larger events than a 20 minute fireworks display and the arts festival actually provides a venue for local artists to make money.