ISLAND COUNTY: Community drone, fireworks shows to receive county funding

Sam Fletcher reports from the Island County Board of County Commissioners for the Whidbey News-Times.

Grants from Island County will help fund firework shows in Langley, Freeland and Oak Harbor this year after all.

The grants hit some snags earlier when two communities, Langley and Oak Harbor, opted for drone shows instead, and a couple of commissioners expressed skepticism with the proposed awards.

The chambers of commerce for the communities announced earlier that the shows before, on and after the Fourth of July will happen with or without the county funds. This week, the county commissioners decided to fund all three displays, at a total cost of $148,000 from the lodging tax funds, though it may mean less money for the chambers next year.

They Said It

“(Drones) can be as much fun, as patriotic, as entertaining for folks, so I would encourage my colleagues to support this,” Commissioner Melanie Bacon said at a recent meeting.

The drone show would disincentivize people from lighting fireworks in their yard and be a step in the right direction of transitioning from fireworks to drone shows overall, she said.

Having three shows on three different days encourages tourists to stay more than one day, Commissioner Janet St. Clair said.

Commissioner Jill Johnson supported the fund allocation too, with the caveat that they will decrease the 2025 lodging tax advisory committee allocation by $98,000 to make up for it.

“I don’t like the perception that is out there a little bit in the tourism community that they just can get more when they want more, right? And it’s not just the fireworks folks,” she said.