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Fourth of July Association warns of financial shortfall and asks Evanston for support
Summary
Representatives of the Fourth of July Association told council the nonprofit faces a serious financial shortfall driven by tariffs and falling donations and asked the city for guidance on sustaining the parade and fireworks; staff and council discussed possible venues for committee review and budget line items.
Representatives of Evanston’s Fourth of July Association appeared before the City Council Feb. 23 to describe a growing financial shortfall and to request guidance and potential city support.
Tracy Alden, president of the Fourth of July Association, said the volunteer nonprofit — which the group said has organized celebrations for roughly 100 years — is facing rising fireworks costs due to tariffs and declining donations. Bruce Bomburger (trustee emeritus) described a long history of the event and said the association’s endowment has been depleted; Leslie Murphy urged the council to consider creating predictable line items in the city budget so community events can count on stable support.
Staff and council response: Parks Director Audrey Thompson explained the city already provides substantial in‑kind services — including public safety, staffing and staging — and estimated annual in‑kind costs of about $125,000 for the July 4 events; she also noted some out‑of‑pocket expenses such as roughly $7,000 a year for portable restrooms. Several councilmembers suggested the issue is appropriate for committee review, including the Economic Development Committee, and said staff and council would continue discussions about options.
What this means: The Fourth of July celebration remains a community priority; the association requested clarity about sustainable funding models (e.g., earmarked line items, partnerships with institutions such as Northwestern, or park district support). Councilmembers suggested continued dialogue and possible committee consideration to identify a stable funding approach.
Provenance: The association presentation and council responses are recorded from SEG 076 through SEG 239.
