No Fireworks For Stamford On The Fourth

STAMFORD, Conn. — For the third consecutive year, the city of Stamford will not be hosting a fireworks display for the Fourth of July. And many residents are unhappy about it.

“We should not have to go to our next-door neighbors to see and celebrate the 4th of July because our city can’t find a way to fund a once-a-year event,” John Brucato said in an email. Stamford shouldn’t use the cost as an excuse, he said. “I don't understand why the past few years the residents of Stamford had to be deprived of fireworks.”

A number of comments were made on the Stamford Daily Voice’s Facebook page about the decision to cancel the fireworks.

“The mayor did not keep his promise from last year,” Ken Fried said.

“The city should have used the snow budget that was not spent last winter!" Bridgett Dunn said in sharing her displeasure.

But Elizabeth Gore Meny agreed with the decision to not have fireworks, saying the city offers other events for people to enjoy. “I'd rather have Alive@Five every Thursday during the summer than 20 minutes worth of explosives on July 4th,” she wrote.

Mayor Michael Pavia, who has not had fireworks in any year while serving as mayor, said fireworks can be shot off for about $30,000 to $40,000. But the overtime costs for police, fire and operations employees increase costs by about $100,000 for the night, he said. Pavia said he looked through each line item of the budget, trying to find the funds necessary, but he couldn’t do it.  

“Once you make a decision you have to stand by it,” Pavia said. The city came closer to having a display this year than in the past two, he said, and he expects the fireworks to return next year.

Pavia said he reached out to companies in the city in search of a sponsor. Many were willing to be part sponsors, he said, but he was unable to secure funding in time.

Last year’s scheduled fireworks for Labor Day weekend would have been much easier to pull off because about one-seventh of the crowd was expected compared with the usual Independence Day turnout, he said. But Hurricane Irene forced the sponsors to cancel those fireworks, too. 

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