Council votes $5,000 from liquor fund to help underwrite pavilion celebration after failed larger requests

The Detroit Lakes City Council approved a $5,000 contribution from the liquor and gambling fund to help offset band costs for an October pavilion celebration after rejecting earlier proposals for higher or lower amounts.

The Liquor & Gambling committee reported a request of $7,500 from the committee to cover bands (estimated band cost ~$10,000) as part of a roughly $12,000 celebration project; committee members were divided on the amount to sponsor. Council first took a motion to provide the full $7,500, which failed. A subsequent motion to provide $3,000 also failed. After additional discussion and negotiation, a motion to provide $5,000 — characterized by one member as a negotiated compromise representing half the anticipated direct band cost — passed by voice vote.

Council members debated the limits of the liquor fund and whether repeated requests from community groups should be subsidized from that revenue source. The mayor called for a roll call during the first motion attempt (7,500) to establish that a two‑thirds threshold would be required for certain spending; later votes were handled by voice and resulted in approval of the $5,000 contribution. Council said the money would help cover the bands and asked event organizers and the museum to continue fundraising for the remaining cost.