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North Chicago mayor warns Community Days may be canceled if fundraising does not materialize
Summary
Council and staff reported $50,500 in committed Community Days donations but confirmed most commitments are not yet in the bank. Mayor Rahim said he will cancel the event if sufficient funds do not arrive within one to two weeks, and council members discussed alternatives and earlier fund‑raising timelines.
Mayor Rahim told the City Council on June 16 that Community Days — scheduled for Aug. 1–3 with a movie night on Aug. 1 and main events on Aug. 2–3 — is at risk of being canceled if pledged funds do not arrive soon.
Darby, a city staff member who presented the fundraising update, said the Community Days effort has $50,500 in committed donations so far but clarified those are commitments, not cash in the bank. "We have $50,500 in commitment," Darby said, and later added, "Commitment's not money in the bank."
The mayor said the city has held off on signing entertainment contracts because of the funding shortfall, and he warned council members the event could be called off rather than run at lower quality. "If money does not start to come in within the next week or 2, there may have to be a change, and that change may be that we will not host Community Days," Rahim said.
Council members and staff discussed cost-saving measures and fundraising work already under way. Darby said the administration had worked with partners to reduce stage costs by roughly $13,000 and secured donated inflatables and other in‑kind support. He also described vendor and sponsor outreach, noting that replacements for past major donors have scaled back their support this year.
Alderman Coleman and Alderman Brooks urged earlier and more continuous outreach to potential donors; Coleman recommended starting vendor and sponsor recruitment immediately after the event rather than waiting until February. "When Community Days is over, September, boom. Jump in," Coleman said, arguing that many entertainment and sponsor commitments are booked far in advance.
Council members also sought a written donor and commitment list. Darby agreed to provide a document for council review and to email the packet sent to vendors, including the vendor package and the list of committed donors.
Discussion only: the council did not adopt any new funding or take a formal vote to alter this year’s Community Days schedule. The mayor directed staff to provide updated fundraising documentation and said he would convene the park district and school district if the city cannot secure sufficient funds in the next one to two weeks.
The council also explored lower‑cost options such as using local acts, reducing fireworks or scaling the event, but the mayor said he would rather cancel than deliver a reduced‑quality festival.
Budget and timeline: Darby reported $50,500 in commitments (not yet deposited) and described about $13,000 in stage savings from partner agreements; Alderman Allen stated the tent budget is "$14,000 and change." No contracts were signed at the meeting.
