City’s Strategic Event Partnership Program Could be Cancelled

Creating Problems for Some Local Nonprofits

UPDATED (November 10, 2022) The City has decided to reconsider this proposal and will delay their presentation to the Planning and Economic Development Committee until January. 

November 7, 2022 | One significant role the City of Asheville plays in supporting local jobs, emerging entrepreneurs, surrounding businesses, residents, and tourists is hosting hundreds of outdoor events each year. Since 2010, the City has been providing additional support for key community events through the Strategic Event Partnership program has allowed for fee waivers and in some cases in-kind labor support for special events produced by select 501c non-profit organizations.

In November 2018, the City of Asheville held two community meetings to discuss the further development of the strategic events partnership program. After push back regarding the funding amount and equity considerations, the program was tabled and baseline services were extended for current partners.Decision making was further delayed by the pandemic.

In May 2021, a new 75% discount for 501c non-profit organizations for outdoor special events that are open to the public and produced on public property was established. This discount applied to Property Use Fees and Permit Fees only. This is wonderful, but after examining the reservations data from the last 5 years this was pretty much what was already happening with the City granting around $200k in fee waivers for other 501c nonprofit events each year on top of the Strategic Event Partnership program support.

Now, in addition to raising outdoor event fees this year, the City’s Planning and Economic Development Committee will hear a presentation from City staff at their meeting on November 14th recommending eliminating the City of Asheville’s Strategic Event Partnership Program. This proposal is then expected to go to City Council in December.

Under this proposal, the City would continue to support:

• Continuation of the 75% discount program from local 501c nonprofit organizations for Property Use Fees and Permit Fees only
• The Asheville City Market on Market Street via an Agricultural Development Partnership Agreement
• And the production of federal holiday commemorations on the City’s behalf, including: Memorial Day Ceremony, Juneteenth Celebration, Independence Day Celebration, Veterans Day Ceremony, and Asheville Holiday Parade.

This would reduce the City’s support from $150-175,000 per year through the Strategic Event Partnership program to just $50,000 per year for the six proposed city events.

The most immediately impacted will be the Asheville Downtown Association’s Downtown After 5 and Pritchard Park events including the Drum Circle, the Folk Heritage Commission’s Shindig on the Green, LEAF Global Arts’s LEAF Downtown festival, and the YMI Cultural Center’s Goombay Celebration.

It is in the City’s best interest not to terminate the Strategic Event Partnership program.Instead, a fair and equitable process should be put in place for all nonprofit event presenters to have equal opportunity to be considered for this Strategic Events Partnership program.