For three years, Hollister has neglected to capitalize on its signature biker tradition and, without the annual rally, has missed out on a major opportunity for economic success.
It is positive news that city officials appear serious about reviving the July tradition, which they canceled after the 2008 event due to astronomical, self-imposed law enforcement costs. Although it does not appear likely the city can pull off an event in 2012, Mayor Ray Friend recently acknowledged officials are interested in finding a private promoter and they plan to meet with one later this month, with the potential to hold a rally in 2013.
Employing a private promoter worked to some degree in 2007 and 2008, while any future rallies must include more scrutiny of the promoter’s financial records.
Council members rejected the notion of sanctioning the rally again for 2009 and beyond because the city lost a ton of money in the event’s most recent year – largely due to the $360,000 cost for security as coordinated by Police Chief Jeff Miller.
The police department jacked up the law enforcement cost to the point where a city with multimillion-dollar, annual deficits could no longer afford it, despite the obvious boost to local businesses. There is no justification for the fact that the Hollister rally’s security costs surpassed the same budgets of much, much larger events in Sturgis, N.D., and Myrtle Beach, Fla., no matter how many excuses Miller can conceive.
Hollister officials, though, have to understand that security costs must be reduced for any promoter, or taxpayers, to get on board. At this point, council members and other senior staff members know where Miller stands. Considering the chief’s history of beefing up security staffing to outrageously overcautious and overly expensive levels, council members must devise their own budget for the event, a slate of expenses that is drastically less than prior years. Just as they oversee budgets for departments and the city as a whole, it should be council members’ responsibility to do the same for an event of this magnitude, and with such importance toward the goals of expanding the economy and tax revenues.
To ensure the most responsible budget while accounting for safety and fiscal prudence, council members should seek assistance from an outside consultant to recommend spending and personnel levels. The relatively minimal cost should be worth the investment with likely savings in year one and beyond, assuming council members move forward on a rally for 2013.
Particularly in these rough economic times with an uncertain future, it is crucial for Hollister to take advantage of a rich history with potential to attract tens of thousands of visitors over one weekend, and thousands more throughout the year.
