Christmas Tree Cutout

Harrisburg considers cuts to town events

During the last month's budget discussions, Harrisburg council members entertained the idea of not funding certain town events to save money in the fiscal year 2012 budget. Funding was approved for next year's July Fourth celebration, this year's Christmas tree lighting and others events, such as the Easter egg hunt and Halloween carnival, but if all town-sponsored events were canceled, it could save the town more than $160,000 per year. The town budgeted $34,000 for the upcoming Christmas tree lighting and $100,000 for the 2012 July Fourth celebration. The town recoups some of that money by selling ride tickets and charging fees to vendors. Town manager Michelle Reapsmith said the recent July Fourth events cost about $92,000. Expenses range from the parade, other entertainment and fireworks to advertising, fuel, overtime pay and security, police and fire. Not including vendor fees, the town collected $32,000 so far. "We have over the last three years systematically created efficiencies that have allowed for decreased costs and a better festival," said Reapsmith. "My goal is to break even in the coming years at the very least. Our July Fourth festival is the premier event in Harrisburg and, historically, we have budgeted up to $125,000 per year for the event. I anticipate that our net cost this year will be approximately $20,000." Reapsmith, who attends and works at each town event, said she would never ask for a tax increase to fund non-critical services or functions, but said the events are important because they promote a community environment. Longtime council member Bill Williams said a possible money-saving solution would be to go back to making the July Fourth celebration a one-day event, especially with the holiday coming in the middle of the week the next three years. "I certainly would not want to see our Fourth of July be scrapped totally," he said. "I don't want to charge a ticket fee either. That just doesn't sound good for celebrating what we celebrate that day. I think that should be free." Williams, who voted for the recently approved one-cent tax increases for the municipal fire district and general fund, said the holiday season budget also is getting a little big. "The problem is our low fund balance," said Williams. "I've been there 20 years, and we've got to make sure every group - public works, fire, police - carries their own weight with the money we allow them." The council set a public hearing for Aug. 8 to consider a yard-waste collection fee, which could generate revenue for the town and potentially help halt future tax increases. The fee could generate up to $300,000 to pay for equipment, fuel, personnel and maintenance. "The fee is going to be such a hard thing to get people to buy into," said Williams, adding that cutting services to semi-weekly or once a month may be a better option. "I have gotten some very good responses from residents that utilize the service," said Reapsmith. "I have received a lot of questions and request to ensure that the service is continued. It seems to me that many residents that like and use the service are more concerned that the service is going away, more so than the fee." Creating a town-managed garbage collection service is another option that eventually will be discussed to save the town money. Currently the collection service is contracted for $650,000 in the 2012 budget, a 3 percent increase, said Williams, and that cost could possibly be significantly decreased through a town-managed collection service. Russ Toler, a Harrisburg resident since the early 1990s, said not funding town events not only makes sense in this economy but it also could save Harrisburg residents money. "I've been pushing for them not to spend, in past years, more than $100,000 on the Fourth of July event," said Toler. "My theory on this is when there were 6,500 people in Harrisburg, and they were spending more than $100,000 on Fourth of July events, that equated to about 16 to 18 dollars per person. You can go see fireworks at the speedway for $7." Laura Carriker, a Cabarrus County resident who has lived in the unincorporated part of Harrisburg since 1972, wrote a letter to Cabarrus County Commissioners asking them to approve a two-cent fire district tax increase for county residents. The county did not approve the increase but the town did. "I think (all town departments) should be a little more prudent with the money they get," said Carriker. "I think funding for public safety should trump funding for something like a fireworks display. My family enjoys the events the town provides, but if it came down to making a decision on budgetary cuts, I would prefer they cut out some of the entertainment options in lieu of public safety.

Free Printable Paper Desktop Christmas Tree Cutout Pattern by ...

Paper Christmas trees! Well, I know of at least one — the one I created as a tidy, budget-friendly way to decorate my desk and spread good cheer in the office during the holiday season.

See it pictured above? Yes, that's the one. And you can print it right now for free off this page (further down). It comes from my Merry Christmas! Desktop Christmas Tree Kit , a cool e-printable novelty I designed in 2007 specifically for office cubical dwellers who wanted to add a simple whimsical piece of holiday decor to their working environments.

Since I used to work in a cube farm, I know how plain and sterile it feels without plants and color and personal items to cheer you up during the holidays. So what can be better than this for Christmas? A paper tree (it's kind of plant-ish) with no needles, no watering, no boxes of ornaments to find and dig out from storage or strings of lights to untangle! (Yes, it's pre-decorated, but sorry, you have to get your own gifts. Hey, print a few of these out and stick them on your co-worker's desks. What a nice, thoughtful gift for them!)

Actually, this Christmas tree has multiple applications: kids's paper crafting, table-top party decorations, bulletin board graphics, scrapbooking elements, cards, and gift tags. Whatever personal creative uses you can think of, have at it! (The Kit has multiple-sized trees for more flexibility and fun. The sample page you get here is the smallest one.)

Read on for simple assembly instructions to quickly get your paper tree from 2D to 3D!

Cut and Make Christmas Decorations in Full Color

Popular Mechanics

Popular Mechanics

Early Childhood Art: Painting and Printmaking

All Active, 35 Inclusive Physical Activities