Heritage of Flight organizers ask New Carlisle to help cover $15,000 in festival policing costs

Organizers of the Heritage of Flight festival urged City Council to increase city financial support for law enforcement at the event, saying volunteer crews and private barriers are not sufficient to handle the larger crowds and potential safety risks that have appeared in recent years.

Marshall Gorby, who identified himself as the festival’s longtime president, told the council the committee spent nearly $15,000 this year on police protection and urged the city to consider covering a larger share of that expense in future years. Gorby described volunteers blocking streets, moving water barriers and working with the sheriff’s department and local deputies to secure Main Street for the weekend festival.

“We don’t mind paying in the money, but it was almost $14,000 for law enforcement this year,” Gorby said. He said porta-potty rentals and sound systems were also significant line items for the volunteer-run event and that festival organizers rely on sponsorships and business support to pay those costs. Organizers asked the city to limit any additional assistance to law-enforcement expenses rather than vendor costs or rides.

Council members and staff discussed cost drivers: deputies’ hourly rates, seniority and whether to contract through a county system or use local deputies on overtime. A city staff speaker described a recent effort in which police staff reviewed the festival security plan and reduced contracted costs by using dedicated city deputies and shift-swapping to avoid some overtime expenses; that approach saved the city a few thousand dollars this year, the speaker said.

Gorby and the council also discussed crowd size and public-safety hazards. Festival leaders said the event draws thousands — organizers estimated mid- to high‑thousands on busy nights — and noted a past incident involving a toy gun that triggered a response. The group recommended a visible deputy presence on festival nights to deter risky behavior and to reassure families and local businesses.

Council members did not take an immediate vote on additional funding for Heritage of Flight during the session. Staff said they would include festival policing costs in upcoming budget discussions and work with the sheriff’s office and police sergeant to identify options to reduce the cost while maintaining coverage.

The council meeting record shows the Heritage of Flight comments were part of the public-comment period; no formal appropriation or allocation was adopted at that meeting.