Extra money to enhance Columbia events, including more security for gay pride parade

Allocation of an additional $312,000 by Columbia City Council will allow for more police protection at this year’s gay pride parade and bring some relief to other civic organizations that had been hurt by funding cutbacks earlier this summer.

S.C. Pride is getting an extra $10,000 in meal-tax revenue that will go to hire more city police and Richland County deputies for the Sept. 3 parade in Columbia. The money was allocated out of safety concerns in the wake of the June 12 mass shooting that killed 49 people at an Orlando gay club, an organizer said Monday.

Generally, city officers provide security for the parade that last year drew more than 35,000 people, said Jeff March, president of S.C. Pride. Next month, deputies will add to the security contingent.

“Because of the Orlando 49, Sheriff (Leon) Lott came to us and offered help,” March said Monday, adding he does not know how many more officers will work the event.

In restoring $312,000, council acted without knowing for sure it will have $200,000 of the total.

Council members are banking on a projection from the city’s chief financial officer, Jeff Palen. He estimated early in June that collections of the 2 percent tax, paid largely by restaurant and bar customers, would finish stronger than anticipated – up by between $200,000 and $400,000.

Palen said Monday he still thinks that June collections, the last month of the fiscal year, will be that much more than the initial calculation of $10.4 million. But he won’t know for sure until September when the numbers are final.

The prospect of more of the coveted money has some organizations hoping they will get a little more money.

“We’re back to where we were,” Columbia City Ballet director William Starrett said the an extra $5,000 that will restore the ballet to $155,000 in meal-tax income it received last year. “It could be worse.”

But that sum does not address rising costs of productions and the need to upgrade some popular events like “Dracula: Ballet with a Bite.”

Altogether, 52 arts and cultural groups shared the $312,000. Organizations that represent the city’s entertainment districts got the largest share.

The single largest increase, $63,000, went to the Congaree Vista Guild to promote events in the entertainment district and to prop up its fledgling yellow shirt program. The guild and its president Hal Stevenson lobbied council so it could grow its safety and cleanliness program.

The 2 1/2 - to three-person program is getting $118,000 and Stevenson hopes its success might get the city to provide even more to expand it to five workers. With the additional $10,000 council approved last week, Stevenson said he hopes to have yellow shirts on duty during early dinner hours.

The next largest increase, $41,000 went to City Center Partnership for its larger yellow-shirt program. The new money will allow the group to fill a frozen position that will bring the number of yellow shirts on the street to 12, director Matt Kennell said.

“We’re happy we got added money, but at the end of the day, we’re down,” Kennell said. The rising number of students and young professionals who are living or recreating in the 36-block area around Main Street requires more yellow shirts, he said.

Amy Beth Franks, director of the Five Points Association, said the $28,000 in new money will allow the organization to keep its three yellow shirt workers without dipping into savings.

“If we had not received the second round of funding, we would have made it work,” she said of her board’s support of its safety and clean-up program.

This story was originally published August 8, 2016 at 6:44 PM.