MONROE - Cinco de Mayo in Monroe no longer will be marked with a festival on the Square.
The Monroe Main Street (MMS) Promotion Committee met Tuesday to review the proposed 2009 budget for events and promotions. Next year, MMS will not finance a Cinco de Mayo event.
MMS Executive Director Barb Nelson said the event, which lasted two years, was not well attended this year. She said the committee may look at a festival to replace Cinco de Mayo around or on Sept. 16, Mexican Independence Day.
"We will look at doing another multicultural event to bring all cultures in Monroe together," Nelson said. "We tried with Cinco de Mayo, and it just didn't work."
Nelson said the committee will use the $500 it cost to fund Cinco de Mayo for other events.
The committee did not cut any other events.
Mike Doyle, representing the MMS board of directors, previewed the committee's draft budget for next year. The finalized proposed budget will be submitted to the board at its next meeting, before it is presented to the Business Improvement District (BID) Board.
Earlier this month, BID members demanded a copy of last year's accounts and next year's proposed budget before they would agree to release any funds to MMS.
Last year, "money set aside for advertising never got spent. That doesn't look good," Doyle said.
MMS was formed under BID to organize and manage events, such as Diva Days, St. Patrick's Day, Summer Fair on the Square, Chili Fest and Concerts on the Square, that promote downtown businesses.
MMS is financed by BID, the City of Monroe and business contributions.
But contributions pledged by businesses have fallen off in the last two to three years.
"The third component is not there," Doyle said about the business contributions.
Part of the reason, as seen by MMS members, is businesses wanting more "bang for their buck" and opting, instead, to sponsor individual events as a channel for advertising.
Fund raising next year will most likely include a fourth source of revenue for MMS: sponsorship levels.
Opportunities to sponsor events, in part or in whole, will be identified on a funds letter to be send in November. Details are still being worked out.
The Halloween parade still needs a chairman for this year and may be handed over to another organization in the future. Dennis Dalton has offered to head up the Christmas parade for this year only, and a co-chair who would like to learn to organize the parade is being sought.
A breakfast to recognize volunteers and to recruit new volunteers will be held in January, according to Nelson.
The Monroe Main Street (MMS) Promotion Committee met Tuesday to review the proposed 2009 budget for events and promotions. Next year, MMS will not finance a Cinco de Mayo event.
MMS Executive Director Barb Nelson said the event, which lasted two years, was not well attended this year. She said the committee may look at a festival to replace Cinco de Mayo around or on Sept. 16, Mexican Independence Day.
"We will look at doing another multicultural event to bring all cultures in Monroe together," Nelson said. "We tried with Cinco de Mayo, and it just didn't work."
Nelson said the committee will use the $500 it cost to fund Cinco de Mayo for other events.
The committee did not cut any other events.
Mike Doyle, representing the MMS board of directors, previewed the committee's draft budget for next year. The finalized proposed budget will be submitted to the board at its next meeting, before it is presented to the Business Improvement District (BID) Board.
Earlier this month, BID members demanded a copy of last year's accounts and next year's proposed budget before they would agree to release any funds to MMS.
Last year, "money set aside for advertising never got spent. That doesn't look good," Doyle said.
MMS was formed under BID to organize and manage events, such as Diva Days, St. Patrick's Day, Summer Fair on the Square, Chili Fest and Concerts on the Square, that promote downtown businesses.
MMS is financed by BID, the City of Monroe and business contributions.
But contributions pledged by businesses have fallen off in the last two to three years.
"The third component is not there," Doyle said about the business contributions.
Part of the reason, as seen by MMS members, is businesses wanting more "bang for their buck" and opting, instead, to sponsor individual events as a channel for advertising.
Fund raising next year will most likely include a fourth source of revenue for MMS: sponsorship levels.
Opportunities to sponsor events, in part or in whole, will be identified on a funds letter to be send in November. Details are still being worked out.
The Halloween parade still needs a chairman for this year and may be handed over to another organization in the future. Dennis Dalton has offered to head up the Christmas parade for this year only, and a co-chair who would like to learn to organize the parade is being sought.
A breakfast to recognize volunteers and to recruit new volunteers will be held in January, according to Nelson.