Veterans ask Willard to keep annual parade in city, seek fee waivers for small posts

Doug Johnson and Diana Johnson told the City Council they helped start Willard’s veterans parade in 2017 and urged the city to keep the event in Willard while considering how fee rules affect small veterans posts.

Doug Johnson identified himself as a past post commander and as someone who serves on a national executive committee for state veterans’ affairs; Diana Johnson identified herself as the current post commander. They said the parade brings visitors and local spending to Willard and that smaller veterans organizations lack the fundraising resources of larger groups. “We bring in, you know, quite a few people to the city of Willard,” Doug Johnson said, and Diana Johnson said, “the one here in Willard is bigger, it’s better, it’s the largest veterans parade in the state of Missouri.”

They described recent pre‑meeting conversations with the mayor, the parks department and the city administrator about drafting ordinance language to both facilitate parades and protect the city’s interests. Doug Johnson asked the council to consider fees with awareness that smaller posts have limited budgets; Diana Johnson said the parade has been beneficial to the city and parks department and that the organizers will present proposals to the board about fee schedules.

Council members thanked the Johnsons for introducing themselves. No formal council action on permit fees or waivers for the parade was recorded during the meeting; council staff said veterans or other nonprofit groups could request fee waivers under the special‑events fee schedule later considered by the council.

The Johnsons left contact names for follow‑up with the city administrator and the parks department.