By Alan Gloss and Sarah Romero
Dumfries is celebrating its 275th anniversary this weekend, amid budgetary woes as it prepares for a three-day extravaganza to mark the occasion. Originally, the town council approved a $100,000 budget for the celebration, but it was revealed Tuesday that planners had overspent by $28,000.
The result is a cost-overrun of more than 130%. Meanwhile, they were only able to sell 12 tickets to the gala and still needed more money to hire a local musician to entertain gala guests.
In a post made to X this afternoon, the town government maintains the gala event is “sold out.”
One of the main contributors to the budget overrun was that planners approved a menu of braised beef tips and salmon without regard to the cost of catering such a meal, said town officials. The catering company Aramark is being paid nearly $40,000 for the meal and is expected to make 350 plates.
During a town council meeting held Tuesday, May 7, 2024, Vice Mayor Monae Nickerson, expressing frustration at the overspending, raised numerous questions during council discussions. “To be $28,000 over budget seems pretty fiscally irresponsible to me,” Nickerson said. “Did it ever occur to anyone that a $40,000 menu was too much to spend on food? We’re a local non-profit government.”
Responsibility for the overspending was a matter of contention among council members. Vice Mayor Nickerson and Councilman Tyrone Brown pointed fingers at Mayor Derrick Wood, who they claimed not only oversaw the citizen committee responsible for the celebration but also worked closely with the planning company hired to plan the event. “You are a chef; you should have known that braised beef and salmon is more expensive than chicken,” said Nickerson, citing Wood’s personal business running a barbeque food truck.
In response to the criticism, Wood attempted to shift the focus to finding solutions. “We can go back and forth for 30 or 45 minutes [placing blame], but town manager, do you have any solutions for this?” Mayor Wood asked.
The town manager, Tangela Innis, offered ways to cut spending, such as not hiring musician Marcus Johnson, who commands a rate of $5,000 an hour for his performances, or cutting the fireworks planned for Saturday at nearly $11,000 for the 20-minute display. Councilman Sean Peet asked for ways to keep the fireworks “for the children” so as not to disappoint them. Ultimately, none of Innis’s suggestions were adopted.
“I work in the hospitality business and understand how expensive food has become,” Wood told Potomac Local News when pressed on the cost overruns.
Adding to the budget woes, planners had originally thought they could sell 300 tickets at $100 each for the gala, to be held Friday, May 10 at the National Museum of the Marine Corps. The town could only manage to sell 12 at that price, then distributed the remaining 288 tickets for free the week before the event.
“It doesn’t make sense to me,” Nickerson stated. “Why would we use taxpayer money to entertain them in the celebration but then charge them to be a part of it?”
The council did not cut any events from the schedule and ultimately authorized an additional $35,000 for the event, with Nickerson voting against the measure.
The town council announced the three-day celebration in January. Among the many promises made at the time, officials said gala attendees could expect a well-orchestrated evening featuring a cocktail hour, musical performances by either the Army or Marine Corps bands, a buffet dinner, VIP recognitions, presentations, and keynote speeches.
The celebration, taking place this weekend, May 10-12, will include a series of events and activities designed to bring the community together to honor the town’s history, in addition to the gala. According to what little information is posted on the town’s website, there will be activities on May 11 and 12 at Garrison Park behind the town hall.
The 1.5-square-mile town in Prince William County is home to 6,000 residents and a soon-to-open The Rose gaming resort. The resort includes a hotel and restaurant and several video slot machines. It will be the first gambling business of its size to open in Northern Virginia.
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