Westchester committee debates rules for subsidizing special events; parking revenue use draws objection

The Westchester Act Committee on Sept. 9 opened a broad discussion about establishing policies and criteria for subsidizing special events and whether to use parking revenue as a funding source.

Committee Chair Brian Travis presented model criteria drawn from examples in Wilmington and Philadelphia. He said the proposed approach would require applicants to show nonprofit status, a description of event goals, a measurement plan and a demonstration of public benefit, and that the borough would seek recognition as a sponsor where appropriate. "There is a place for the borough to play a part," Travis said, linking support to quality-of-life, cultural and economic goals.

Travis and other committee members discussed options including a dedicated event fund seeded by event parking fees, a sliding scale of support tied to police and public-works costs, and an application process with measurable follow-up reporting. He proposed forming a working group to refine criteria and funding limits ahead of the next event season.

Several members of the public and business advocates urged clarity and fairness. John O'Brien provided attendance and cost data for signature events and the committee reviewed it in detail: the Westchester Christmas Parade was listed with about 22,000 visits, the Gay Street open-air (Christkindl) market about 15,000 visits, and the restaurant festival and other events with smaller counts. Cost estimates presented to the committee showed some events have costs comparable to the Christmas Parade; for example, an estimated cost for the Chili Cook Off in 2025 appeared near $16,000 on the spreadsheet shown to the committee.

Speakers and committee members debated whether Porchfest, which some said draws attendees away from downtown businesses, should qualify. Sheila Decaro and other committee members emphasized that criteria should allow for cultural and community events that do not strictly show immediate downtown economic benefit.

The use of parking revenue to subsidize events prompted the most pointed exchange. One attendee argued parking funds are a limited municipal revenue source and should be retained by the borough: "parking needs to stay with the borough. It's one of the few fundraisers the borough can engage in, and we should not be giving away our parking money to subsidize anything," the attendee said. A representative of the nonprofit Food for Friends urged support for events that generate direct community benefit, saying, "for every dollar that we don't have to spend on event fees, we can feed 12 meals." The Food for Friends representative asked the committee to consider offsetting some event costs to support local hunger relief.

Committee members noted the borough already supports events through different channels (parks and recreation, the BID and other line items) and that a transparent, systematic subsidy process could clarify who receives support and why. Suggestions for objective criteria included community benefit, economic impact, alignment with council priorities or a master plan, proof of nonprofit status or local sponsorship, safety and logistics planning, financial responsibility, and accountability reporting.

Travis said he would seek volunteers for a working group that would include parking and finance staff and other stakeholders to produce a formal recommendation for committee review. No formal policy or spending decision was adopted at the Sept. 9 meeting; committee members agreed further work is required.

Ending: The committee said it will form a smaller working group to draft application criteria and funding limits for committee review before decisions are made for the upcoming event season.