A proposal to increase fees for holding special events downtown concerns some organizers.

City council at its meeting tonight will have an introduction and the first reading of an amended ordinance that would increase overtime contributions by event organizers from 25 percent to 75 percent.

The increase would be effective in 2015.

“Basically the (event) sponsor would agree to cover a minimum of 75 percent of all costs incurred by the city in holding the parade or special event,” said Mayor Tom Donaldson, who put the amended ordinance on council’s agenda at its meeting Tuesday night.

The fees cover the overtime costs for police officers and workers from the city’s streets and parks departments during events that shut down Main Street.

“The fee has been 25 percent for a long time,” Donaldson said at the meeting. “Most other areas charge 100 percent. Based on the city’s financial status, we need to recover more of that.”

Five events would be impacted: the Jeep Invasion during the annual Jeep Festival, Cruise-A-Palooza, the Butler Road Race, the Butler Fall Festival, and the Spirit of Christmas Parade.

Donaldson said the Memorial and Veterans Day parades would be exempt from fees as they are now.

Last year the overtime costs of those events ranged from about $1,300 to $6,100, with organizers responsible for paying $330 to $1,500 in support.

Should council pass the amended ordinance, events would be responsible for three times their previous amounts.

“That would have a major impact on our event,” said John Malinski, the president of the Rodfathers Association, which hosts the annual Cruise-A-Palooza in the summer. “I don’t know if we could still do it (in the city).”

Malinski said the car club is just getting by financially supporting the event.

“We give so much away to charities,” he said. “It’s hard enough now getting money.”

Malinski said the major events downtown already contribute enough to the city.

“This is bringing people into the city,” he said, adding his car show draws tens of thousands of people downtown. “Our crowd lasts all day.”

Malinski said the hike in fees may drive his car show outside the city, where it has been held for two decades.

“There is a possibility of the Farm Show Grounds,” he said. “We’d have to have a meeting with club members to see what they want to do.”

The largest event in terms of overtime costs for the city the past two years has been the Jeep Invasion. This June the overtime costs totaled $6,200 for the Friday night event.

The Butler County Tourism and Convention Bureau holds the invasion as part of its annual Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival.

Patti Jo Lambert, the coordinator with the tourism bureau, said the organization’s planning board would have to evaluate the cost of the invasion.

“It’s something our planning commission would have to look at and evaluate,” she said, adding cost analysis is always something event organizers must consider.

Lambert said she believes the events downtown are vital to the community.

“I believe all these events are effective in bringing people through the community that otherwise would not be there supporting the businesses,” she said. “Our event had between 20,000 and 30,000 people walking Main Street.”

Lambert said many businesses downtown have reported the invasion as their busiest night of the year.

“Having events support business and enhance the quality of life in a community,” she said.

Sheri Hershberger, the president of the Butler Fall Festival, said the fees would be particularly tough for her festival.

“(The festival) last year had to be canceled due to weather, so we’ve given away a lot of vendor spots this year,” she said. “Our income received is down. Sponsorships are down as well. This would certainly hurt.”

Hershberger said the festival is run by volunteers and depends on its income through donations, sponsorships and vendor revenues.

Mike Franko, the president of the Butler Road Race, said the change in fees wouldn’t threaten the race from occurring, but said it would take money away from the scholarships awarded.

“There are a lot of expenses with the race,” he said. “And the more money spent means less is awarded to the scholarships.”

The race raises money for college scholarships to high school students in the county who participate in cross country.

Franko said the event generates enough money to give about $500 to each qualifying candidate as well as about $1,000 to the main boy and girl scholarship winners each year.

Franko said the event has about 25 to 40 qualifying students annually.

If council approves the motion tonight, it would have to pass a second reading of the ordinance at its meeting next month before it would become official.