Cherry Blossom ball drop could return to downtown Macon for New Year’s Eve

The New Year's Eve Cherry Blossom Ball Drop could ring in 2018.

This year’s celebration would mark the first time the Cherry Blossom Festival has hosted the event after a two-year hiatus. The event’s return will likely depend on Macon-Bibb County’s providing $10,000 to support the Cherry Plaza affair.

The County Commission’s Operations and Finance Committee is scheduled discuss appropriating the money Tuesday.

Along with the signature ball drop at midnight, the downtown celebration would feature fireworks, a DJ and pink LED lights, according to a proposal.

After the Cherry Blossom Festival decided not to hold the New Year’s Eve event in 2015, County Commissioner Al Tillman worked with other organizations to hold a celebration outside the Macon-Bibb County Government Center. At the time, a Cherry Blossom official said the organization was unable to host the event without help producing and directing it.

On Dec. 31, 2016, the New Year’s Eve celebration included a 40-foot crane dropping the mic in downtown Macon.

Trump budget cuts

A Macon-Bibb County department is safe — for now — from potential federal budget cuts.

Also Tuesday, the commission’s Operations and Finance Committee is expected to take up adopting a $2.5 million fiscal 2018 budget for the Economic and Community Development Department.

The budget includes an expected $1.6 million in funds from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development for Community Development Block Grants. President Donald Trump has proposed eliminating the grant program, but the earliest that could go into effect is next year.

The block grants are distributed by local governments to agencies that assist the disadvantaged. And in Macon-Bibb, about 10 positions within the Economic and Community Development could be lost without the grant program.

“They’re going to be OK this year,” Interim County Manager Julie Moore said. “They’re still nervous it could go away in the future.”

In other business Tuesday, commission committees are also expected to vote on:

▪ A $550,000 contract to build the second phase of the Central City Park skate park. The measure returns to the commission agenda after some changes were made to the initial resolution.

▪ Finalizing an agreement with Contour Airlines to provide flight service out of Middle Georgia Regional Airport. Flights between Macon and the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area are scheduled to start Aug. 17.

▪ An $893,871 agreement to purchase Caterpillar equipment for the Solid Waste Department. Special sales tax bond money would pay for the landfill equipment.

This story was originally published July 24, 2017 at 10:30 AM with the headline "Cherry Blossom ball drop could return to downtown Macon for New Year’s Eve."