By Coma News Staff
City officials announced last night that due to recent budget cuts, Coma’s annual “Gifts from the Town of Coma” summer festival has been cancelled. The popular event, which takes place on the third weekend in July, was deemed too expensive by town leaders.
“We all love what ‘Gifts from Coma” means to our community,” Mayor Dave Anderson said. “But at some point, we must exercise fiscal responsibility.”
Gifts of Coma Festival started in 1982 as a way to win public support for increased taxes when town leaders showered the community with luxurious gifts and parades. The event proved so popular it eventually became the town’s official summer festival.
“This is not going to be a popular decision,” council member Bob Smith-Smith said about the decision. “But we were sitting around looking at how we could reduce the budget and realized the Gifts of Coma festival accounted for nearly two-thirds of our annual operating budget.”
Smith-Smith said citizens would not be expected to return gifts from previous years, including jet skis, Land Rovers or personalized gold-finished Grillz. “We’re not heartless,” Smith-Smith said.
Mayor Anderson said special hearings were being scheduled for next week as city leaders must scramble to find an affordable replacement theme for this year’s event. Themes reportedly under consideration are:
– Perusin’ Magazine Days
– Hand Clappin’ Festival!
– Let’s-All-Bring-Sandwiches-and-Water-to-the-Park-and-Tell-Funny-Stories-Because-That-Doesn’t-Cost-the-City-Any-Money-at-All Festival
– Round Up in Bed Days!
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