There is a question mark over the future of March town's Christmas lights as the cost of last year’s switch-on is set to bust the budget by around £5,000.
Even though it is now eight months since the switch-on last year, bills for the event are still coming in, and March Town Council clerk Sarah Lemmon has warned the final total cost will be around £25,000 - the budget set for the annual event was £20,000.
The topic of the lights and the need for this December's event to stick to the budget was discussed at last night's (Monday) town council meeting.
Cllr Jan French raised her concerns and said: "We cannot keep putting the budget up year after year. It is getting unaffordable, and I think £3,500 for a Christmas tree is ridiculous.
"I know things change like the electrics, but we can't keep putting this budget up."
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Cllr Martin Field, who sits on the council's Christmas lights committee, hit back by pointing out the budget for the lights had been cut by around £5,000 two years ago, so it was wrong to suggest the budget kept rising.
He said the tree was something the public expected, and said cutting back on the cost of a tree would result in a much smaller version, and he said: "I don't think people would be very happy."
Cllr French said there had been an agreement that any extra costs above the set budget needed to be covered by fundraising, and that the council taxpayers should not be expected to keep covering the rising costs.
Ms Lemmon agreed fundraising had been suggested, but added there had been none so far.
Cllr Field said there were fundraising plans in the pipeline, including a horse racing evening at the United Services Club in October.
However, other councillors felt that it was a bit late in the day and more needed to be done sooner.
Mayor Cllr Andrew Woollard said: "The budget has to be kept to £20,000, that's what's available and cuts need to be taken to keep within the budget rather than thinking it doesn't matter the council will pay for it whatever."
Cllr Hannah Orbell suggested one way to cut costs was to do away with the switch-on event, which she admitted might be an "unpopular" opinion, and just have the lights turned on.
Cllr French agreed that it could solve the problems.
While Cllr Rob Skoulding suggested the lights could be turned on at the annual Christmas Fayre, which was traditionally held the day after the switch-on.
However, Cllr Field argued the switch-on event was not the most expensive aspect of the lights.
He said the big expense was having the lights put up and taken down.
But Cllr French pointed out that cutting the switch-on would save on road closure costs, the hire of a trailer, and the payment for entertainment.
Cllr Woollard concluded the discussion and said: "The Christmas lights committee needs to look at costs and how to keep everything in line, and they should report back to the next meeting."
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