St. Pete Beach pulls plug on holiday lights

ST PETE BEACH - Holiday lights are the latest economic casualty in one Pinellas County beach community.

The city of St Pete Beach says it was forced to make difficult budget decisions this year and just can't afford it.

Two hundred lighted holiday ornaments cost the city $30-thousand dollars last year, city officials said.

"The previous year we actually had to cut the fireworks the city had for 25,000, and this year it was the Christmas decorations," St Pete Beach Public Services Director Steve Hallock told FOX 13.

Hallock says the beach community has fallen on hard times and has had to make tough decisions along the way.

"We've had to cut police positions, fire positions, my department has lost 12 full-time positions over the last several years," Hallock explained.

Instead of lights, St. Pete Beach has holiday flags hanging along Blind Pass Road and Gulf Boulevard at a price tag of 18-hundred dollars.

"I expected to see more Christmas lights and I was saying to my husband yesterday that there didn't seem to be as many anywhere," said tourist Lea Bannon.

Bannon and her husband even bought lights in St Pete Beach for their home in Toronto. They said they didn't notice the holiday flags.

"I hate to say that, because I hate Scrooges I really do, but that's being a Scrooge," Tom Bannon said.

But city officials are proud of their expanded holiday display in Horan Park, lit up and worked on by staff members.

"We used to rent a tree year after year after year, but by planting a live one over the long term the tree will grow bigger and we'll also save money," Hallock said.

Several residents have donated holiday lights and other decorations.

Hallock said among the budget problems, the city has more than $300,000 in legal fees as a defendant in several cases involving development. .

But St. Pete Beach's Holiday Land Parade will go on as planned Friday at 9 a.m.