While the City Council unanimously voted on the resolution authorizing Mayor Eddie Sundquist to purchase fireworks from Zambeli Fireworks Manufacturing Company, at least one member of the community did not agree with the decision.

Doug Champ, a local Jamestown resident, warned that the City Council was voting on what he claimed was “the most expensive use of city taxpayer money in the history of Jamestown.”

Champ said the cost per minute of the fireworks show would not be worth the lasting impact the fireworks could have on the community and the environment.

Champ suggested the City Council could use the money for better purposes, specifically for the Parks and Recreation Department.

The City Council voted unanimously to spend $19,500 on fireworks for the city’s Labor Day festivities. City Council President Anthony Dolce, R-Ward II, said most residents support the fireworks show. P-J photos by Timothy Frudd

In addition to the cost of the fireworks, Champ said the Labor Day fireworks show would be harmful to residents, animals, and the environment in the region.

“What’s more important is the environmental impact,” he said. “There are no environmentally friendly fireworks. There are no green fireworks. The affects of that 20 minutes will last a long time.”

Champ said the chemical combinations involved in the fireworks show would result in negative consequences for the environment. He encouraged the City Council to research the dangers of fireworks before passing the resolution to designate money for the show.

“If you want to contribute to this problem, then spend the $19,500 for 20 minutes,” he said.

City Council President Tony Dolce, R-Ward II, said the city has held fireworks shows for years. He explained that the city strives to make the fireworks as safe as possible for the community.

“It’s not something we do every day, and we’ve tried to do the best we can to make it as safe as possible and as quick and gentle as possible to think about people that have issues with it,” he said.

Dolce said he understands there are potential negative aspects concerning the use of fireworks, such as noise and pollution; however, he said the “vast majority” of people in the community look forward to the Labor Day fireworks show.

While Dolce said he understood Champ’s concerns, he thought the public deserved the opportunity to enjoy the fireworks show since it has been about three years since people were able to celebrate in full force.

“We don’t do fireworks a lot,” he said. “People enjoy it. They’ve come to expect it, especially on Labor Day. A lot of people, it’s the highlight of the day for them; they go up and picnic.”

Dolce also explained that those who do not support the Labor Day fireworks show have an advanced warning that the fireworks will take place at a certain time; therefore, they will not be surprised by the noise of the fireworks.