Councilmen Bernard Parks and Curren Price, hoping to organize this year’s Fourth of July fireworks at the Los Angeles Coliseum, presented competing proposals to the panel that oversees the event. Parks’ office estimates his costs to be lower. Meanwhile, Price’s estimate includes essentials like security guards.
Two city council members competing to organize the annual Fourth of July fireworks show at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum presented revised versions of their proposals last Friday to the panel that oversees the venue. Councilman Bernard Parks, who represents the Eighth District, submitted one of the two proposals to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission, estimating his event will cost $64,339. Parks, who founded the event and has been running it for the past eleven years, is hoping to retain control of it even though the Coliseum, where the event has been held, was cut out of his district two years ago when council boundaries were redrawn.
Curren Price, a newly elected councilman who represents a neighboring district that now includes the coliseum is looking to take over the event this year. He is estimating his costs for running the event at $124,827. Responding to a request by the commission to work out their differences, each party also contributed ideas on how the two could collaborate.
But discussions have been limited between Price’s and Parks’ office since the meeting last month, with the details of collaboration left to the commission to decide at the April 26 meeting. Parks’ chief of staff, Bernard Parks Jr., said Parks’ costs came in lower because community groups involved in the event, as well as the Coliseum and the adjacent Expo Park, would be providing the restroom facilities. Connie Llanos, spokeswoman for Price’s office, said the higher cost of the event as proposed by Price reflects such essential costs as private security guards for an event that usually draws 50,000 people.
She also questioned whether the Coliseum and Expo Park would actually be providing free restroom facilities and said the almost $14,000 costs estimated for entertainment was generous and will likely be reduced. Llanos said Price is looking at sponsorships and charging for booth and food vendor space to offset costs. The largest portions of each proposals cost goes to the fireworks show itself, which is expected to cost about $60,000 in city general funds allocated for the event each year.
