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Elkhart council approves $50,000 for Lerner Theatre centennial events
Summary
The Elkhart Common Council unanimously approved a $50,000 appropriation from Lerner Theatre funds to support the theatre’s 100‑year anniversary programming; city officials and committee members said the city’s total commitment to the celebration remains $200,000 alongside private and county contributions.
The Elkhart Common Council voted unanimously to appropriate $50,000 from Lerner Theatre funds to support centennial celebration activities for the Lerner Theatre. The measure, proposed as Ordinance 25‑O‑22, passed on a 9‑0 roll‑call vote after brief council questions and a single public comment.
The appropriation is one part of a broader city commitment to the centennial. A Lerner committee representative told the council that the city’s total commitment to the celebration is $200,000, including $50,000 appropriated previously, another $50,000 in 2025 and $100,000 from EDIT funds. The committee representative said the committee is also working with donations and sponsorships and that the final event budgets depend on how much private support is raised.
Councilman Henke asked for a clearer budget, saying, “What is the budget for that 100 year celebration?” A committee representative said individual events have different budgets; the centennial committee was “working with about a $180,000” budget for certain activities and a Midland event was “about a 150,000,” figures the representative described as approximate and dependent on donations. Council members also noted that the Elkhart County Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) has committed significant sponsorship support; the committee representative said the CVB had committed “a 100,000.”
After the second‑and‑third reading motion was made and seconded, Melody conducted a roll call and President Dawson announced the ordinance passed 9‑0. During the public‑comment portion, resident Ralph Spalbrink offered historical materials to the committee for the centennial programming.
Discussion only: council members asked for more precise budget detail and how city dollars relate to private and county sponsorships. Council staff and the Lerner committee said they would provide further budget detail to the council as planning continues.
Action: Ordinance 25‑O‑22, appropriating $50,000 from Lerner Theatre funds for centennial celebration activities, adopted by roll call 9‑0. Motion: Mister Henke; second: Mister Mishler.
The council did not set any new conditions on the appropriation at the meeting; members said they expect the committee to return with more detailed event budgets as planning proceeds.
