Cicero, NY - For the first time in nine years, the town of Cicero is not contributing to the Brewerton fireworks celebration Saturday. “It’s disappointing because this is a community effort,” said Nick Chervinsky, chair of the fireworks committee. From 2001 to 2009, the town donated $500 a year to Fort Brewerton/Greater Oneida Lake Chamber of Commerce. This year,...
Brewerton's Fourth of July fireworks display sets off a glow on Oneida Lake. This year's fireworks are Saturday night. This view is looking east from the Route 11 bridge in Brewerton.Cicero, NY - For the first time in nine years, the town of Cicero is not contributing to the Brewerton fireworks celebration Saturday.
“It’s disappointing because this is a community effort,” said Nick Chervinsky, chair of the fireworks committee.
From 2001 to 2009, the town donated $500 a year to Fort Brewerton/Greater Oneida Lake Chamber of Commerce.
This year, some town board members still wanted to make a donation toward the $12,000 firework show Saturday night over the Oneida River in Brewerton. But Cicero Town Attorney Anthony Rivizzigno advised the board against it.
“The crux of it is that the state comptroller has determined that towns — not just our town — cannot contribute to fireworks celebrations unless they are in control of those celebrations or if it’s their own celebration,” Rivizzigno said.
The town of Hastings, which also borders Brewerton, has also made a donation for the last nine years, Chervinsky said. Hastings town board members have not yet decided whether to make a donation this year, a town clerk said.
An estimated 10,000 to 12,000 people usually come out to Brewerton to watch the 20-minute fireworks display said Chervinsky, also a member of the chamber of commerce’s board of directors.
The chamber sells raffle tickets and seeks donations to pay for the fireworks show. On Thursday, committee members still needed to raise about $1,000, Chervinsky said.
Cicero Town Councilor Jim Corl Jr. said he thinks the town should still make a donation.
“I wanted to donate the $500 like we always do,” he said. “If we can’t give the $500 to Brewerton, then why do we give $500 for the Memorial Day parade and $2,000 to the historical society every year?”
The reason, according to the town attorney, is that those other donations are permitted by state law.
“If the town had its own fireworks celebration, the town could pay for it. That’s fine,” Rivizzigno said. “But when the celebration is of a private organization, under the state comptroller’s opinion, the town can not contribute unless it has control of the fireworks itself.”
Rivizzigno said he expects a future state comptroller’s audit to rule the previous nine $500 donations to the Brewerton fireworks were improper.
“They’d certainly criticize us for it. It’s taxpayers’ dollars and it’s improper,” he said. “You can’t contribute to private organizations because it is taxpayers’ dollars.”
» See a listing of fireworks displays this weekend on syracuse.com
Catie O’Toole can be reached at cotoole@syracuse.com or 470-2134.