Des Plaines may have to cut out its Taste

Des Plaines may have to give up its annual "Taste" event if it wants to hold on to another time-honored tradition: a Fourth of July parade.

Resident Steve Schaefer and a small group of veterans made an ardent plea to the city council Tuesday night not to let the parade fall victim to budget cuts.

"This is a family event that impacts more citizens than the Taste of Des Plaines," said Schaefer, representing the local chapters of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion and Vietnam Veterans of America. "We cannot go without a parade. There are priorities in life, and this needs to be done."

In a harsh economy, towns facing budget constraints often cut back on frills like parades and fireworks.

Neighboring Wheeling slashed most of its annual Freedom Fest, which this past year was a three-day affair over the Fourth of July weekend that included live music, a parade and food. This year, the event will offer only fireworks.

After laying off about a dozen employees, Des Plaines cut back on roughly $75,000 in overtime costs for police and public works employees to work special events in 2009.

Yet Mayor Tony Arredia assured Schaefer the city council had not decided to ax the Fourth of July parade.

"We are discussing coming down on some of the things, and the parade will probably take precedence over some other item," Arredia said. "We might have to sacrifice the Taste or something else in lieu of that."

The Des Plaines special events commission normally plans eight or nine events a year with a budget ranging from $150,000 to $200,000.

The city now has roughly $48,000 in escrow for the Taste of Des Plaines event and about $6,000 earmarked for the Fourth of July fireworks, from either donations or revenues generated from past events.

By canceling the Taste, Des Plaines could use that money toward the Fourth of July parade and still keep the Fourth of July fireworks, which should be higher priorities, City Manager Jason Bajor said.

"I think it may come down to that," Bajor said. The parade "is a very popular function."