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Haunted Trail organizers report record gross revenue and about $40,000 net from 2019 event
Summary
Haunted Trail committee documents show a 2019 gross of $60,059 and a net of at least $40,290 (some expenses estimated); organizers reported new merchandise sales and a plan to use off-site storage at roughly $2,200 annually.
Haunted Trail organizers told the Clifton Town Council the 2019 event produced its highest-ever gross revenue and substantial net proceeds, while committee reports show some estimated expenses and a small carried deficit from 2018.
Committee Co-Chair Sydney Sawyer reported to the council on the event’s success; a detailed email and attached profit-and-loss spreadsheet from Ester Pline showed gross revenue of $60,059 for 2019 and a net total of at least $40,290 after expenses, with some items still listed as estimates.
Pline’s materials list ticket sales, sponsorships, parking and merchandise. The committee launched dedicated merchandise this year — tumblers and tie-dye T-shirts — and reported total merchandise costs of $8,239 (including about $3,000 spent on volunteer T-shirts) and merchandise revenue of $7,557. The report notes using Units Moving and Storage to store props at an estimated annual cost of about $2,200, and that the committee plans to continue that arrangement until a permanent solution is found.
Attachments provided by the committee show detailed line items (ticket counts of roughly 2,602 in 2019; gross and online revenue breakdowns; sponsor lists such as Wegmans and NOVEC; and expense categories including generators, signage, porta-potties and skit reimbursements). The spreadsheet also records a remaining deficit carried from 2018 in the neighborhood of $4,398.46, which the committee described in its internal reconciliation tables.
Councilmembers were shown supplemental Haunted Trail reports as part of the Treasurer’s packet; Treasurer Marilyn Barton’s financial summary also listed Haunted Trail net proceeds of $22,335.06 provided to the Town as of Oct. 2019, reflecting timing differences between event accounting and deposits to Town accounts.
Organizers said some expense items remain estimates and some reimbursements are pending; the committee plans to reconcile final figures and cash the remaining balances. The council did not vote on any event-specific appropriations at the Nov. 5 meeting.
