By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

NAPLES — The postponement of the Fourth of July fireworks display on the Causeway and the fact that the new date falls on a holiday weekend has driven up the cost.

It will cost the town an additional $7,500 for the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) to provide public safety personnel to cover the event, according to Naples Interim Town Manager Bill Giroux.

Sheriff Kevin Joyce “has indicated to me that they don’t have the funding to pay for staffing,” Giroux said.

CCSO already turned in its budget for the year, and it was approved based on known dates staff would be working. The budget is kept lean, Giroux said.

“They need $7,500 in order to staff the Labor Day fireworks,” he said. “The sheriff thinks he can get workers for it. They are going to get paid time-and-a-half or double-time because it’s holiday.”

Giroux suggested using $6,300 that was unspent during Fiscal Year 22/23, a carry-over from Naples Fire and Rescue Department’s salaries so that there is less of an impact to the town’s budget.

“Otherwise, we are talking about cancelling the fireworks and we don’t want to do that,” he said.

So, Naples Labor Day fireworks are still on.

The date for the pyrotechnic display is Saturday, Sept. 2 with a rain date of Sunday, Sept. 3.