City commissioners questioned a proposed $60,000 Christmas line item in the municipality’s 2026-2027 budget Tuesday, most of it for a single commercial-grade artificial tree.
City Manager Kimberly Hayes called the figure a placeholder from a single vendor quote and said she is seeking competing prices.
A commercial tree in the 32- to 40-foot range runs $30,000 to $40,000, Hayes said, a one-time purchase the city does not now own and cannot buy at a big-box retailer. The tree must be engineered to hold up in wind and carry heavy ornaments and lighting.
Finance Director Dave Mecusker defended the request as a long-horizon purchase. “It’s a one-time deal and the tree’s going to last,” he said. “It’s like a 10-year or a five-year investment that you’re making for the citizens and the activities that they’re going to have and the community spirit that this is going to generate.”
