BELLEFONTE — The annual Bellefonte Easter Egg Hunt may be over, but controversy lingers.
For the first time ever, organizers of the event received an invoice from the borough for the use of Talleyrand Park, where the event was held.
According to the invoice, the reservation fee of $200 was waived. However, event organizers were billed for the application fee ($25), a deposit ($100), trash and recycling ($40), cleaning of restrooms ($40) and electricity ($5). The invoice was for $210, although the deposit of $100 would be returned to the organization if there was no damage to Talleyrand.
Egg hunt organizer Mary Ann McMurtrie said she was upset when she received the invoice.
“We’d never been invoiced for any event that we’d had at the park for the past 13 years,” McMurtrie said. “We were kind of surprised. Especially at the total.”
McMurtrie shared the invoice on social media, which prompted outcry from residents and attendees.
She said she plans to speak directly to borough council during its meeting on April 17.
“I contacted them and I will be on the agenda … to discuss it with the borough. Basically, I am going to ask them if they will drop the charges or waive them,” McMurtrie said.
McMurtie said that the annual event is not under the auspices of any specific group. Instead, in her words, it is a community effort. Everything is donated — from the bicycles that are given as prizes to the free food that is handed out.
“Basically, this started years and years ago. We tried to have the different clubs come together because everyone had their own little Easter egg hunt,” McMurtrie said. “Through the years, any club in Bellefonte — I have a list of about 50 — that the majority of the time participate,” she said.
According to McMurtrie, her group of volunteers conducts the egg hunt free of charge and does not make a profit.
“We are a nonprofit group that serves the entire community,” she said.
While she is hoping to see the fee waived, it may be easier said than done.
According to Bellefonte Borough manager Ralph Stewart, the invoice was not a mix-up — just a new borough policy.
“Back in 2021, we did a strategic management plan. … Basically, one of the outcomes of that plan was to try and raise revenue,” Stewart explained. “Bellefonte Borough itself is one of the highest taxed communities, borough, township, municipality, whatever, in Centre County. We have a tax base issue in that our tax base is not growing.”
With that in mind, when the borough began putting together its 2023 budget, officials started looking at revamping policies and how things were done.
“Last fall, when borough council was working on the budget, we collectively decided to say that, ‘Look, when an event comes in — no matter which event it is — everybody (pays) the administrative fee.’ If they’re a Bellefonte-based nonprofit, any of the other reservation fees or deposit fees, those were waived,” Stewart said.
That, in fact, was the case with the Easter egg hunt.
What is new, according to Stewart, are some additional fees.
“If we, the borough, had costs — cleaning the restrooms, setting out barricades — whatever it was that was above and beyond, we said that each event would pay those costs. And it would be dependent on what each event wanted,” Stewart said.
According to Stewart, because these events force the borough to use more labor, it needs to recoup the costs associated with that.
He used the Historic Bellefonte Cruise as an example.
“For the (Bellefonte) Cruise, if there is a special trash pickup Saturday evening or Friday evening or a street sweeper run after the dance on Friday night, the event should cover those costs. If we have to hang detour signs, same thing. Those costs should be captured by the event organizers,” he said.
Stewart said Bellefonte Borough studied other communities to see how they handled similar events.
“Most communities charge the same thing. Some kind of cost or fee to recover their costs. Basically, the bottom line is, if they didn’t, then the costs go back onto the taxpayer. … What you’re doing is, you’re taking a little pressure off the tax base,” he said, “and having the event organizers cover that expense.”
He said hat he realizes these fees are a “big deal” to people.
“They probably weren’t listening to our budget discussions and weren’t aware that it was coming,” Stewart said. “All we are trying to do, as a municipality, is cover the costs related to setting up a special event. And we didn’t pick one over the other.”
Stewart reminded borough residents that council meetings are held every first and third Monday in council chambers at the borough building. Prior to the start of every meeting, there is a public comment period and residents are welcome to voice their concerns.
“We welcome comments, and borough council (meetings) are always open,” Stewart said. “I would ask people to write a letter or come in and talk to council about any concerns. And give council a chance to tell people the other side of the story as to how we got here.”
Bellefonte Borough Council will meet at 7:30 p.m. on April 17. The meeting will be streamed live on C-NET’s YouTube channel.
