With $700,000 in hand, the Concord250 Executive Committee is seeking Town Meeting’s approval of an additional $350,000, largely to pay for security for the 2025 parade and related events commemorating the anniversary of the Revolution.
The initial funds on deposit come from the State House and the post-COVID American Rescue Plan Act.
Executive Committee Treasurer Richard Loughlin made the case before the Finance Committee.
Loughlin said the Select Board would likely sponsor the warrant article for $350,000, taken from the Town Manager’s budget.
He said more than half, or 53%, of the $350,000 would be devoted to public safety.
He cited the “four or five days” surrounding the giant parade on April 19, 2025 that will mark the anniversary of the start of the Revolutionary War.
“We will be getting things ready, not just for the parade itself,” Loughlin said, adding that plans are “incomplete.”
“There is potential for more state funding, but we can’t count on it,” said Loughlin.
He said various other subcommittees whose programs and events are dubbed “aspirational” would seek funding through grants and donations.
Loughlin also said the Executive Committee is looking to the Patriot’s Day parade in 2024 to kick off townwide fundraising.
FinCom member Amrith Kumar asked what “benefit to the town” may be realized in revenue. Loughlin pointed to the uptick in tourist visits benefiting local businesses around the 2025 celebration.
Plans around safety and security are not set in concrete. Loughlin said a more detailed plan would be presented in January.
