The Chester MLK Parade may be canceled due to a new $6,400 fee imposed by the city, leaving organizers scrambling for solutions.
The parade committee has always operated under the assumption that they only needed to pay an application fee. They’ve reached out to the city council, asking them to waive this new charge.
Corey Guy, a Chester County council member, expressed his surprise, noting that for 33 years, they’ve never been asked to pay anything like this.
As the holiday approaches, Bernice King is encouraging everyone to reflect on her father’s teachings.
City administrator Malik Whitaker mentioned that the fee schedule was included with the application the committee submitted in December. He only realized last week that the fees hadn’t been paid.
Whitaker, who’s been in his role for two years, admitted he wasn’t aware of any past agreements regarding the fees. He stated, “I just know that it hadn’t been paid.”
He explained that the fee is standard for large events and helps cover city services like street closures, barricades, trash collection, and security.
Guy, who is part of the parade committee, reiterated that they simply don’t have the money to pay these fees.
The city council is set to meet at 6 p.m. on Monday to decide whether to waive the fees.
Guy, whose father started the parade years ago, mentioned that some local business owners have offered to help if the council doesn’t waive the fees, but he hopes it won’t come to that.
Stay tuned to Channel 9 for updates on the city council’s decision.
