Town plans July 4 fireworks from pier, budgets $60,000 from accommodations tax

Amy Goodrich, the town’s events coordinator, presented an outline for a three‑day July 4 program the town intends to fund largely from accommodations tax receipts. Goodrich said she budgeted $60,000 for the event and that contracts for buses and a professional fireworks vendor have already been signed.

“On fourth of July itself, we are planning to do a fireworks display at the beach ... It will be going off of the pier,” Goodrich said, adding that the town had met with the county fire marshal and contracted a vendor. She also said the town arranged bus service so people can travel from the mainland to the island.

Council members expressed concerns about sea‑turtle impacts and possible crowding on the island. Goodrich said she would speak directly with the sea‑turtle watch coordinator and that the vendor used for pier‑based fireworks in neighboring towns uses mortar shells rather than fireworks that shed ash into the water.

Members also asked whether the contract dates are flexible and whether the $60,000 figure includes police and fire overtime. Staff said standard holiday overtime for police and fire is already budgeted annually and that additional operational labor for a larger celebration will be included in the next year’s budget planning. Council members asked to see copies of the contracts for the fireworks and buses before finalizing broader promotional plans.

Goodrich said the town will direct promotion primarily to town residents and use town e‑alerts to limit visitor congestion; she said the committee is also pursuing potential sponsors to offset costs.