SOUTH HADLEY — Town leadership has suspended the yearly Fourth of July fireworks until adequate funding and staff are available to put on the show.
The decision came during the Oct. 20 Select Board meeting, immediately following an overview of Department of Human Services operations from Director Andy Rodgers.
“Without a committee or group looking to support this, I and the Recreation Committee [don’t] know how we can do it,” Rodgers said.
The fireworks show has a target budget of $15,000, but tariffs on fireworks and limited police overtime funding have pushed the new estimated cost to $22,500, Rodgers said. The fireworks contract alone would jump from $12,000 to $17,500 a year for the same show, or $15,000 for a slightly smaller show. Police overtime for the public event totals around $5,000.
The celebratory event is supported through sponsorships, grants and vendor fees. The transportation company that provided rides shared 15% of their profits with the town, but this company went out of business last year.
Northampton announced an end to its fireworks show earlier this year, citing similar funding constraints. Easthampton city government stopped sponsoring fireworks in 2013, although festivities returned through dedicated volunteers.
The South Hadley Select Board agreed to halt the event until funding and staff were less sparse. Chair Jeff Cyr noted that Department of Public Works employees set up the fireworks show, but they too have more responsibilities after losing two staff positions. Relying more on sponsorships can exhaust local business owners’ generosity, Vice Chair Carol Constant said.
“It’s a wonderful community event that brings people together,” Select Board Member Priscilla Marion said. “[But] how can we do that when we are making cuts to the schools and the town offices are where they’re at?”
The cost increase to the fireworks show coincides with cuts to the department’s operating budget. Human Services lost $90,000 in fiscal 2027, then cut an additional $50,000 when the search for a new Council on Aging director failed.
The Department of Human Services includes recreation, veterans and senior services. South Hadley consolidated the three departments in 2024 to eliminate redundant staff and to streamline outreach and programming. Town Administrator Lisa Wong said the change saved the town $300,000 a year in operating costs.
Ten staff members remain: one veterans service agent, two people coordinating recreation programming and eight running the South Hadley Senior Center. The deputy director of senior services and Rodgers have since absorbed the Council on Aging duties. The role of social service coordinator, who helped connect seniors with fuel assistance and food benefits, was also lost during the last budget cycle.
“Our team is working well together,” Rodgers said. “We’re certainly trying the best we can. We are down staff, though.”
According to the South Hadley Community Needs Assessment, 24% of the 698 respondents sought senior services, and 33% of respondents said focusing on these supports would improve quality of life in South Hadley.
The Department of Human Services offers a lot of support to seniors, specifically related to healthcare and food access. Residents can seek Medicare counseling three times a week. Every day, 110 meals are delivered to South Hadley residents who cannot make it to daily lunch. The previous social services coordinator still volunteers to help with fuel assistance and SNAP enrollment.
Wong said she is looking to cut $50,000 from the department’s budget for fiscal year 2028. It will likely impact staffing hours or positions, which warrants a reduction in senior center hours, she said.
“If you’re taking away the programming staff, then you could have a building open all the time,” Wong said, “but you’re not going to have the robust program that we have right now.”
