(1/15) The Thurmont Board of Commissioners discussed consideration of vendor permit fees at their January 14 meeting, suggesting an increase is likely coming in the near future.

In presenting an overview regarding Catoctin Colorfest revenues and expenditures, Thurmont Chief Administrative Officer James Humerick said, “Just to summarize, the total revenues for 2019 came to $63,265, and total expenditures came to $63,795, so that was a deficit of $530.”

Humerick stated the deficit is easily explained... We decreased by just about 70 (vendor) permits and that certainly can attribute to a significant decrease in revenues.” The food for profit vendor permits, he said, constitute a significant source of revenue. “We went from 32 last year to 23 for this year and “that's a significant decrease.”

In addressing the possibility of future deficits, Commissioner Martin Burns recommended increasing permit fees “across the board.”

Burns said, “Catoctin Colorfest gave us $5,000 (donated to the town's general fund). I know we shouldn't count that, right? But if they would guarantee, as long as it's not more than $5,000, they would give us $5,000, we could leave the permits the way they are.” The $5,000 Catoctin Colorfest donated was not counted as part of the event revenue.

“But, when we're trying to run it like a business, revenues and expenditures, then I think it's fair to just, across the board, (increase the permits by) five bucks (and) let's move on. Everybody could afford that.”

Mayor Kinnaird said, “I would counter that with I don't think we should raise the permit fees for several reasons.” The mayor stated, “We get $5,000 generously gifted to us from the Catoctin Colorfest. The police department got $1,500. The ambulance company got $1,500. Fire company got $1,500,” as well as scholarship money, “from Colorfest alone.”

“Then you look at the value that all of our non-profits get, the scouts, the churches, our different fraternal organizations,” Kinnaird said.” The $500 (deficit) is a small price, in my mind, to cover that value. Rather than raising the permits by any amount, I'd like to see us ride this through for a year and see what happens next year (2021 Colorfest).”

Burns responded, “I just don't want to lose money, so, to the taxpayers who hate Colorfest, and there are those, a small fraction that do, or impacts their quality of life for that weekend, even though we recognize the huge benefit they provide, I just want to make an adjustment now softer. It is better than waiting to find out, what if we have less.”

The board, however, decided to not raise the permit fees going into the 2020 Colorfest.

Kinnaird stated, “At some point we're going to raise our fees, probably sometime in the future, and we want to make sure that people understand that's going to happen. So I think we can safely say we won't be raising the fees this year (for the 2020 Colorfest), but I would recommend that when you send out your (Colorfest) stuff for 2021, you might put something in there; there might be an increase in fees.”