MAYOR WARNS, WITH DIFFICULT FINANCIAL TIMES AHEAD, CITY MAY REDUCE SPENDING ON PUBLIC FESTIVITIES

(10/31/2008) NEW HAVEN- After 1,200 New Haven Public School students took part in the Mayor’s Annual Halloween Parade in Downtown New Haven today, Mayor John DeStefano, Jr. announced that this may be the last time the event is celebrated in the City. DeStefano also alluded to the potential need to cut back on other City-sponsored cultural events and festivities as a cost-cutting measure moving forward.

“We are all experiencing the effects of these difficult financial times. As we begin planning for a balanced budget in the next fiscal year we are all going to need to prioritize what’s most important to our residents and make difficult choices,” said DeStefano. “We will need to decide what’s necessary and what we can do without. Therefore, we will need to consider suspending the Halloween Parade and looking at other City-sponsored events that carry an expense where we will need to decide whether or not to spend next year. While these are hard decisions to make, we need to be prudent and responsible in our spending during this international financial crisis.”

The Halloween Parade costs the City several thousands of dollars including Public Works, Police and Parks and Recreation labor.

Contact Name: Jessica Mayorga

Contact Email: jmayorga@newhavenct.net

Contact Phone: 203-946-7660