Franklin Civic Celebration Committee debates July 4 schedule and budget; will present revisions to council Oct. 7

The Franklin Civic Celebration Committee on Sept. 17 discussed multiple revisions to the city’s July Fourth festival schedule and budget and agreed to present a revised spending request to the Franklin Common Council on Oct. 7 for approval.

Committee members emphasized that the 250th-anniversary celebration has prompted consideration of moving the parade off the morning of July 4 — with options including a Sunday parade, a Friday-night (third) event or a later-afternoon start on the fourth — but made no final decision at the meeting. Members said the committee must show council concrete budget cuts and options before council will sign off on spending.

The committee’s discussion centered on rising costs and trade-offs between revenue and expense. Members cited last year’s revenue figures and several line items to explain the committee’s options: ticket sales rose to…