SHAFTER, Calif. (KERO) — In a split vote between the Shafter City Council, Council Members opted not to help fund the Shafter Lions Club Independence Day fireworks display.
For over two decades, the Shafter Chamber of Commerce has hosted the event, but according to a spokesperson for the Chamber, rising costs and a lack of volunteers able to commit to working at the event led to the cancellation of the Chamber’s 2026 event, opening the door for the Shafter Lions Club.
“When we heard about it, I jumped on it. I said, 'Hey team, let's all get together. I want to do this fireworks show.' I love fireworks. I love what it represents for our country. I love what it represents for our city, and I convinced the leadership team at the Shafter Lions Club to do it,” said Joe Simmons, Marketing Chair for the Shafter Lions Club prior to the vote.
Though with just a few weeks before the rockets can don their red glare and bombs will burst in the air, Simmons says the Lions Club doesn’t have the funding readily available to pay for the event. During a presentation to City Council on Tuesday evening, Lions Club President Nelson Salinas noted that it's feasible to raise funds for the show through resident and business donations, but hoped to see the council fund it because the event is for the community.
When discussed by the City Council, Mayor Chad Givens noted that in 2024, the Shafter Chamber made a similar request for a $2,500 donation to help fund the show, which the council denied, leading him to vote to deny the Lions Club’s request for 10 times that amount.
Mayor Pro Tempore Gustavo Olvera Jr. noted that in his mind, comparing the two doesn’t make sense as the Chamber has had years of experience in hosting the event, and the Lions Club is trying to do it in a significantly shorter amount of time.
All four council members in attendance opted to approve the special event permit and the in-kind donation for Police Department and Public Works overtime. Olvera and Gilbert Alvarado voted in favor of the contribution, while Givens and Cathy Prout voted against it, causing the motion to fail. Councilmember Pete Espinoza was absent from Tuesday's meeting.
Ultimately, the show is still slated to happen, Salinas noted there will be two viewing areas for residents at Sequoia Elementary and at the fields north of the Shafter Recreation and Parks District Office, though the event will be picnic style and no vendors will be allowed at the event to limit the complexity of the permitting.
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