Council debates $1M in annual event spending, asks staff to seek sponsorships and cost targets

Timnath councilors spent the bulk of an hour-long budget work session questioning whether the town should continue spending roughly $1 million a year on events and how to measure the full cost once staff time and public-safety overtime are counted.

Mayor Robert Axmacher urged caution on rapid cuts but said the council should aim for “conservative and responsible” budgeting. He told staff: “I think that it's unrealistic to continue to have events at at 1000000 plus dollars a year.” Council Member Dennis Chakota and others noted that staff time and indirect costs are not currently booked into event budgets and urged staff to produce per-event cost breakdowns.

Staff said labor and overall event costs push the total near $900,000–$1.2 million when full costs are included. Councilors proposed options including: scaling large, regional draws down toward a more local focus; increasing smaller neighborhood events; pursuing sponsorships from local businesses; and charging modest parking or activity fees where practical. “Maybe we capitalize on some of those opportunities,” one councilor said in support of sponsorships.

The council did not adopt a formal budget reduction tonight but asked staff for follow-up: detailed per-event attendance and cost figures, a proposal for sponsorship outreach with a timeline (to be initiated well before the next event cycle), and targets for gradual reductions in large-event allocations. Several council members said they favor keeping community-building events while trimming costs or shifting some expenses to sponsors or participants.

What’s next: staff will return with a cost-per-event analysis and proposals for sponsorships and phased budget adjustments ahead of the October budget draft.