City council in Timmins is set to decide if there will be a 2018 edition of the Stars and Thunder Festival.
Timmins Mayor Steve Black is recommending another eight-day festival. Black said this year's extravaganza produced a great benefit in both tourism and community pride.
In a motion to city council, a budget for next summer's festival is proposed at $5.7 million dollars, with about $2 million of that total allotted for musical entertainment.
The motion calls for the festival to be held on June 24 to July 1, 2018 and it instructs city staff to seek the following agreements.
1) Ron Sakamoto (Gold and Gold Productions) for an amount of $500,000 for festival production including stage, sound, lighting, video equipment and all backline requirements
2) Front Gate Tickets as per the current 2017 contract extension option
3) Music artists within a festival entertainment budget of $2 million
4) David Whysall International Fireworks Inc. to launch the remaining for shows at a cost of $175,000
Council is scheduled to vote on the motion at a meeting on Tuesday.
When the financial total for Stars and Thunder was rolled out earlier this month, a debate broke out between Black and city councillor Rick Dubeau.
Dubeau contends the festival lost $600,000, while Black said the total broke down to a net loss of $30,000.
"We budgeted for $3.5 million and it came in at $6 million, so we better have a strong budget and stick with it this time. If council decides to go through with it," Dubeau said.
If the festival does go ahead next year, Black said ticket prices will increase by about $30 to help ensure a better profit margin.
