CRESTVIEW — The Independence Day fireworks display will light skies over Twin Hills Park as usual following two unanimous City Council votes.
The council on Monday unanimously approved Main Street Crestview Association President Paul Lowrey's request to begin fundraising for the display, which City Clerk Betsy Roy said could cost as much as $16,000.
The Community Redevelopment Agency's new master plan omitted budgeting for Fourth of July fireworks, which had in recent years fallen under CRA funding.
Lowrey said Main Street would put up $2,000 toward the display, and said Allen Turner Chevrolet will match the funds, plus provide a new Chevy that would appear at public events and serve “as a large piggy bank for people to shove donations through the windows.”
Roy sought a third vote to assure the fireworks display will be completely funded.
"I'm sure Paul and his crew are going to overdo the funding, but just in case, we need the council to approve city money to cover the difference," Roy said.
Councilman Doug Faircloth asked Roy to obtain bids for the fireworks show before the council agreed to cover any shortfall in Main Street's fundraising.
The Crestview Centennial Committee is planning an old-fashioned family picnic for Twin Hills Park beginning 2 p.m. July 4.
The agency suggested moving the display to Spanish Trail Park, but Fire Chief Joe Traylor and Public Works Director Wayne Steele — whose office oversees city parks — opposed the idea for safety and logistical reasons.
"Ending the event at the park and asking citizens to move to Spanish Trail for the fireworks would, at the very least, be inconvenient for the citizens," Roy stated in a council brief.
The council approved keeping the fireworks display at Twin Hills Park.
In preparation for the Independence Day celebration, Steele said his department would create a better walking path from Main Street to Twin Hills Park to add more parking, hoping to avoid a dangerous situation from previous years in which people parked on U.S. Highway 90 and crossed the busy four-lane road to the park.
"You can park anywhere on Main Street and still see the fireworks if you don't want to go to Twin Hills," Roy said.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: No move for Crestview Fourth of July fireworks display (VIDEO)