Goldsboro to underwrite Martin Luther King Jr. celebration; council approves $85,100 budget ordinance to guarantee event

The Goldsboro City Council agreed Dec. 16 to underwrite the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration after the event's planning committee asked the council for a guarantee of the program budget while the committee solicits sponsorships.

The council voted to ask staff to prepare a budget ordinance authorizing up to $85,100 to be transferred to the community relations special revenue account to cover the event and related activities, including the interfaith breakfast. Staff said the amount would be treated as underwriting: sponsorships and other revenue the committee raises will offset the eventual cost and may be banked for future years.

Why this matters: The MLK celebration is a city-sponsored event that in prior years relied heavily on ticket sales and community fundraising; planners asked for a city guarantee so they could avoid charging admission this year and still hold a large program. Council debate focused on whether the city should place the entire amount in the budget now or guarantee the funding while sponsorships continue; members also discussed creating a recurring appropriation for community relations events in future budgets.

Discussion: Several council members praised the committee's work and said they wanted the event to remain free to attend. Councilwoman Matthews told the meeting she wanted to "dispel any misinformation" and said last year the commission did not run a deficit. Council members said the event is important for community engagement and historical connections — Councilwoman Matthews highlighted Goldsboro's local connections to Dorothy Cotton, a civil-rights figure — and some members urged greater transparency and earlier distribution of plans to the full council to avoid confusion about venue choices.

Implementation: Staff said the transfer would be processed as a budget ordinance amendment and noted there is a special revenue fund line item the city already uses for interfaith and MLK activity. Because fiscal-year end check runs were imminent, staff agreed to return a formal ordinance at the council's Jan. 6 meeting but the council's vote authorizing staff to prepare the ordinance cleared the way for organizers to proceed with venue holds and vendor discussions.

Vote: The motion to prepare a budget ordinance to allocate up to $85,100 passed unanimously.

Ending: Council members asked staff to consider a standing line item in future budgets so the commission would know a baseline appropriation ahead of planning cycles. The council also left open that sponsorship revenue raised for the 2024 event could be retained by the commission for future use.