Marysville councilman votes against city's budget over line item to support community events
One Marysville councilman voted against the city’s budget for next year over a $40,000 line item that he said this week was unfairly earmarked for a popular car-centric event.
When organizers for Hot Wheels Weekend came to the city last year, Councilman Dave Barber said it made sense at the time to support an event with a few extra thousand to accommodate the inclusion of fireworks.
But this year, he said that “something else has to give,” and he questioned what else could’ve been funded with the $40,000 — specifically pointing to a couple of local residential side streets left off the city’s next list of road improvements.
“The council, we all agreed, that it would help the event, it would promote the event, it would help the residents since we weren’t having fireworks last year. So, we kicked in (funds),” Barber said Monday night. “… I thought it was kind of an anomaly. I didn’t think it was going to be an every-year-type thing. It was something we helped out with and away it went.”
“Hot Wheels is a fun event. I’m the only person on the council that shows cars,” he added. “I have two vehicles. … But as a councilperson, I just can’t find it me to spend this amount of money, taxpayers’ money on this.”
One of the organizers for Hot Wheels Weekend, however, said the whole thing may be a misunderstanding.
Chris Troy, who spearheads Hot Wheels with realtor Mike Deising, said the city funds weren’t just for them, citing past impacts of COVID-19 on community events.
“That $40,000 was a line item, basically, as a CYA in case else happened. Because all the contracts that we had come in this year said you are responsible for cancellations. … Last year, because of Marysville Days (or Summerfest) being canceled, the Lions Club still wanted to have their beer tent and fireworks. So, they tacked that on to the end with Hot Wheels.”
Summerfest is returning to Marysville June 16-19 after a two-year hiatus because of the pandemic.
Hot Wheels Weekend is slated for Aug. 26-27 with a large roster of entertainment and a Miss Marysville Hot Wheels pin-up contest in addition to the popular exhibition of classic cars.
Barber was the only dissenting vote in council’s approval of Marysville’s 2022-23 budget Monday.
Mayor Wayne Pyden urged for better communication over smaller items in the budget. He told Barber he appreciated his comments, adding advisory boards that help make those decisions may welcome councilmember input.
“I hope moving forward we do not come to a situation like this next year or in future years,” Pyden said. “I think, lesson learned.”
Marysville’s budget included its $12 million general fund. Finance Director Mike Booth said the city's projected to tap into $1.5 million of the city’s rainy day funds, which were added to general revenues.
Roughly $2.26 million in road projects, a $209,000 increase over last year, are also outlined in the budget, as well as $1 million in other projects, including city park amphitheater improvements, pickleball courts, a Bridge-to-Bay bike path extension, and a skatepark expansion.
City utility rates will also see an uptick, and that rate schedule was also OK'd by council Monday. Booth said the city’s $559,000 contract for refuse collection with Emterra Environmental is increasing 3.5% next year — marking a 28.3% increase for residents at a bi-annual total cost of $74.52.
City Manager Randy Fernandez said they’re seeing a 1.9% increase for residents on both water and sewer costs.
“We do have reserves — right now, anyway — in the water and sewer fund, and that’s why we can get away with only asking in this year’s budget for a 1.9 increase,” Fernandez said. “… Annually our residents will pay just over $800 when you combine the water and sewer.”
Contact Jackie Smith at (810) 989-6270 or jssmith@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @Jackie20Smith.
This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: Marysville councilman votes against budget over community event line item
