Meridian council OKs up to $20,000 to sponsor Jamal Roberts celebration; funding moved to community development

The Meridian City Council voted March 6 to authorize city-sponsored support for an honorary celebration for American Idol contestant Jamal Roberts, approving a not-to-exceed $20,000 allocation and directing that the funds be placed in community development’s special events fund.

Council members and event organizers discussed a committee’s budget plan that called for $11,701 to cover sound and lighting, stage and stage skirting. Council members said the $20,000 ceiling provides a cushion for additional or unforeseen costs, and the council approved a budget amendment to transfer the $20,000 from a police special-projects line (an allocation that had been set aside for an animal-control building) into community development.

Why it matters: Organizers are not a 501(c)(3) and, under city legal guidance discussed at the meeting, the city cannot give funds directly to a private committee. City attorney and staff explained that making the event a city-sponsored event lets community development contract directly with vendors (stage, lighting, sound, restrooms, security) while avoiding a transfer of cash to a private entity.

At the meeting, the committee representative said the original vendor breakdown included $7,000 for a lighting company, $3,500 for a stage and $1,201 for stage skirting; the committee indicated it planned to pay for some items but asked for city help for sound, lighting and security. Staff told council members that the city would pay vendors directly from community development rather than transferring money to the outside committee. The committee also reported a conflict with its preferred security provider and said it would arrange alternate security.

Councilmembers and staff stressed that, because the committee is not a 501(c)(3), city sponsorship means the city controls operational elements such as parade route and public-safety resources; staff said the city would provide or contract for the stage, lighting and other vendors the city routinely uses for public events. Councilmembers directed community development and the committee to coordinate logistics and to use the $20,000 in community development’s special events fund; staff said the council’s action includes a resolution adopting the necessary budget amendment.

The council moved, seconded and approved the not-to-exceed $20,000 allocation; the presiding official announced the ayes had it.