Pleasant Grove work session considers ending parade float purchase to boost Miss Pleasant Grove scholarships, add teen program

Pleasant Grove City Council members in a March 2025 work session discussed redirecting funds currently used for the Miss Pleasant Grove parade float toward scholarships and a proposed Miss Teen Pleasant Grove program.

Kim Wilson, who identified herself as the Miss Pleasant Grove program leader, told the council she took over the program in 2018 and described the program’s volunteer service across city events and schools. "Of that $30,000 you just heard what the scholarships are. So, we take approximately 12 to $13,000 — we put it directly into scholarships just for that year," Wilson said, outlining how the city contribution is currently used.

The discussion turned to the cost of the parade float. Wilson said the program spends about $12,000 to $14,000 a year on float-related costs from the city contribution, and city officials described a one-time capital request of about $25,000 for a chassis. City staff and council members said fewer parades, higher per-parade costs and the operational burden on volunteers have reduced the float’s cost-effectiveness. "People are backing out of the floats because the parades since COVID have not been as well attended, and the cost of a float to go to seven parades, it's like $2,000 a parade," Wilson said.

Council members and staff discussed options to preserve the program’s community service and scholarship goals while reducing parade-related expenses. One option under consideration is to forgo the capital chassis purchase and annual float spending and instead reallocate those funds toward scholarship increases and a new teen program. As explained in the session, the math in staff’s presentation would allow the program’s current budget to remain “budget neutral” if the float capital purchase is removed and operational float expenditures are redirected.

Participants described program outcomes they said benefit the city: volunteers at parades and community events, service projects such as park cleanups, filling 14,000–20,000 Easter eggs for a local lodge, and partnerships with local groups including Hope Squads, PG Cares and Choose Kindness. Wilson also described efforts to add non-finalist scholarships and to grow scholarship amounts; she said last year the program awarded approximately $12,250 in scholarships and that the title holder’s award this year is about $4,000. Wilson said many of the program roles are unpaid volunteers and that staging the pageant and year-round support require significant unpaid staff time.

Council members raised concerns about optics and community expectations if the float were to be retired. Some said longtime residents may miss the float’s visual presence; others said they preferred funds be used directly for scholarship and local programming. One council member summarized the trade-off: "If we can put the money towards education for those participating and the service they're giving ... it could be financially used in a better way." (quote paraphrased from the council member who spoke in the session.)

Council members also asked whether affiliation with Miss Utah and Miss America franchise fees were drawing program participants who primarily seek state-level competition rather than local service. Wilson said the Miss Utah participation is a small portion of program spending (about $1,800 per contestant vendor/invoice the program covers) and that participants also raise private funds to cover additional Miss Utah expenses. She said contestants serve in the city for a full year before attending the state pageant.

No formal vote or ordinance was taken at the session. Staff and council members agreed to continue budget conversations and return with detailed options at upcoming meetings; the city administrator said decisions about capital purchases and budget finalization would be revisited in April as part of the broader budget process.

The discussion combined program history, volunteer service claims and specific budget figures the council will use as it finalizes the municipal budget for the coming fiscal year.

Ending

Council members did not adopt a final decision at the work session. Staff proposed returning with refined budget options on April 8 and April 22, with a tentative budget scheduled for May 6, so the council could decide whether to keep the float purchase in capital spending or reallocate those funds to scholarships and a Miss Teen program.