A historic Massachusetts enclave has come under fire for cancelling its planned Fourth of July celebration after the residents voted to cut funding for the local police and fire departments — while town officials refuse to refund donations.
The Town of Rutland announced this week that it had scrapped the majority of its festivities for the nation’s 250th birthday, including the annual fireworks display, parade and concert, over safety concerns due to its law enforcement shortage.
“We understand how much this tradition means to our community and how disappointing this news is for many families,” town officials said in a statement.
Despite properly fundraising for the Independence Day bash, Rutland faced an inadequate number of public safety officers to work the event while also safely responding to the town’s emergencies.
“Due to anticipated staffing limitations, our Police and Fire Chiefs have determined that they cannot safely support both the event and routine emergency services at the same time. Moving forward under these conditions would put both attendees and the broader community at risk,” the statement read.
The town housed British prisoners during the American Revolution and was the home of Rufus Putnam, George Washington’s top military engineer.
Putnam, who eventually made the rank of brigadier general, built several crucial forts around the colonies during the height of the war and commanded multiple regiments in multiple battles in New York.
The famed engineer’s home in Rutland is now a national historic landmark.
The town attempted to source outside parties but found additional safety concerns with the backup plan.
Funds raised by the Rutland 4th of July Committee would be “preserved” for future celebrations, the town said.
Donors would not receive refunds because of the system the town used with the collected funds and some of the money had already been spent.
“After consultation with Town Counsel, the Town has determined that donations should not be refunded. Some of the funds have already been used for event-related expenses, including printing, deposits, and fundraising costs, and all donations are held in a municipal gift account for the sole purpose of supporting Rutland’s 4th of July celebrations,” the statement said.
“Because funds are pooled and expended collectively, it is not feasible to determine or return individual contributions. Instead, all remaining funds will be preserved to support future 4th of July celebrations.”
Rutland officials did not reveal when the full Independence Day celebration would return and didn’t even hint at the possibility of fireworks for 2027.
The shortage of public safety in the central Massachusetts enclave began just over two weeks before Wednesday’s devastating announcement.
Rutland voters failed to pass a proposition override that would have paid for four full-time police officers and five full-time firefighters in the town, according to MassLive.
Residents were left angered by the cancellations, calling out town officials for canning the event.
“Nah that is a Big middle Finger to your Residents, Do better,” one person commented on social media.
“Why does this feel like it’s being done out of spite and to teach people a lesson?” another person asked.
“I’m at a toss up. I understand people not wanting to pay more in taxes, however it does forfeit a lot of our communal festivities and normalcies. But at the same time, cancelling the fireworks and then promptly saying “and this only the start of it” seems like town admin’s way of sticking it to the residents,” another wrote.
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