A Shocker at the Selectboard
Fireworks company tells the town that the cost for Hinesburg's Fourth of July fireworks will be $20,000, a whopping 60 percent increase. What to do? Poll at bottom of story. Tell us what you think.
The Record Staff
Here’s a bummer that the town found out about: The cost of the 2026 Hinesburg fireworks display has jumped to $20,000.
Hinesburg Recreation Department Director Jen McCuin told the selectboard Wednesday that the day before she’d been notified by the fireworks company that its minimum charge was jumping to $20,000, a 60 percent jump from the $12,500 charged last year (the previous minimum).
The town must decide whether it wants fireworks, and make a deposit of $10,000, by early January, well before the March budget vote.
Town Manager Todd Odit said the staff would look into several alternatives to fund the fireworks and make a recommendation for the December and January budget discussions. The possibilities mentioned were to get neighboring towns to chip in, to use some of the reserve fund to pay all or part of it or to do more ambitious community-centered fundraising.
While there was no deliberation, one selectboard member didn’t hold back.
“I want to show my cards here,” said Paul Lamberson. “I’m not excited about (this) … I counter that opposition with full recognition of what a wonderful day it is, what history that event has. But with Burlington going on the third and Bristol going on the third, Hinesburg really turns into a host on the fourth. And in this economic reality I think a (60) percent increase to host other towns is too rich for my blood.”
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That was the most contentious item of the night as the draft budgets for capital improvements, the recreation and highway departments and outside services were presented.
The recreation department is proposing a budget of $177,169, an increase of $12,347, mostly for McCuin to sign onto the town’s health insurance, a “non-debatable item,” Odit noted as employees have the option of being part of the town’s healthcare insurance or not. McCuin has gotten her healthcare elsewhere in years past.
The highway budget is approximately 2.7 percent higher than last year, a proposed $933,050.
Most notable among the outside services was a reduction of $7,000 in the bus fee with Tri-Valley Transit at $38,000. (Full FY2027 draft budget and summary below)
The board also discussed and walked away from an unusual proposal by a Milton-based developer who owns Lot 15 in Commerce Business Park (the lot once proposed for a Hannaford’s supermarket) and the lot that fronts Route 116 where Automotion is presently located.
The developer, Jay Mitiguy, told The Record that he was proposing, in essence, to be the lead developer for a new fire station to be located on Lot 15, with an additional access road through the Automotion lot. Mitiguy said that a previous town study had noted that “Lot 15 (was) the highest ranked location” for a new station.
Mitiguy and his partner Colin Lindgren asked for a monthly fee of $3,500 from the town to fund the developer’s work for design and permitting over the next three years, a total of about $95,000. He also was suggesting a potential land swap: Lot 15 for the current fire station lot where developers had a preliminary idea for a commercial/residential building. Mitiguy set a Dec. 17 deadline for the town to decide.
While praising the idea of a public/private partnership, the board clearly had no interest in getting into a such a financial arrangement “at this time.” The board voted to let the idea and deadline pass.
Mitiguy said he was not ready to disclose some of the ideas he and his partner have for the two lots they purchased in 2024.
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We can celebrate the 4th of July without 20K of fireworks. A loud band where the community can gather, sing and dance with sparklers would accomplish the same thing, community and gratitude for our American Democracy.
Clicking buttons in the poll, has no result. 😕
Suggestion: Now is the perfect time to revisit the idea of fireworks altogether; there are many other ways to celebrate - which aren't as expensive, risky, injurious to some of us, etc.