Northampton to be Paid for Southampton Days Support

Despite disagreeing with the bill, the Southampton Days Committee will pay Northampton Township $3,500 for its police and public works services this year.

Otherwise, as Southampton Days Committee Chairman Patrick Miller told the Board of Supervisors on Wednesday, the annual event would have been canceled.

Miller told the board that while Southampton Days has received an annual bill from Northampton Township for the last decade, it was only recently that Northampton had demanded it be paid.

He said the committee for the privately run event paid for the help of the Northampton Police Department only one time, in 2008, after garnering some extra cash.

Miller said he has no problem paying for the police officers' work ,but is “wholeheartedly against” paying for Northampton Township Public Works employees to put up the 'No Parking' signs their township deems necessary for the week-long event.

In addition to those signs, Miller said Northampton has decided it needs to close Bristol Road.

“I understand they say it's a safety issue but it's ironic that it's a safety issue when it's all their residents coming to our event to enjoy our fireworks but yet they don't want to pay any money to offset the cost,” he said.

Miller said the committee has no choice but to pay the bill because Northampton “has us by the short hairs.”

“They said to us … if we don't pay the bill, they're not going to support our event,” he said. “I was then told by (Upper Southampton) Police Chief (Ron) MacPherson that if we don't agree to pay that, that he will shut down our event because he wouldn't have the support of Northampton Township. And I understand that. I don't understand why we have to support their Public Works people to put up No Parking signs...”

Contacted Thursday, MacPherson said, “I told him I need Northampton Township to ensure safety. But one person doesn't make that decision (to cancel the event).”

Such a decision, he said, would have to made by the Board of Supervisors.

Miller told the board the payment to Northampton this year will mean the committee won't be able to make its annual $2,200 donation to Upper Southampton's summer concert series. It also may have to raise tent fees to local nonprofit groups, decrease the number of bands in the parade and eliminate the small flags and buttons it hands out, he said.

“It's just so disappointing that Northampton Township can't work with Upper Southampton Township to resolve this $3,500,” he said.

“It just affects (Upper Southampton) township,” he added. “That's the sad part about it.”

Miller's comments were in stark contrast to that was still being worked on.

Bad weather made it difficult to make ends meet last year, and the committee didn't pay off its debt to Upper Southampton until February. In all, it paid the host township about $4,800.

This year marks the 40^th anniversary of Southampton Days, which is held the week of the Fourth of July.