Sundown Salute 2017 will go on.

City Commissioner Jim Sands is the temporary Chair of a group working to maintain and reorganize the fourth of July celebration after revealing that the event finished 2016 $32,000 in the red. The group plans to formally organize in to a committee next month.

“We will have the carnival, we signed them in a few years ago and this would be the last year on the contract…we’re looking at a four day event, but then again that could be up to the committee once the committee forms at the next meeting on January 3rd,” said Sands.

Sands adds that the committee will work hard to prevent debts in excess of $30,000. “This year we’re going to do it a little bit wiser…instead of putting a whole bunch of stuff out there and not being able to afford it, we’re going to play for what we can pay for.”

The group is also working with legal assistance from attorney Vic Davis and an emphasis on transparency with the community moving forward.

“He brought the agreement that we put together in 1987 for Sundown Salute, he talked about how they put it together, the articles of incorporation that he has – he says we can continue with what we have, we’ll update them, put bylaws in place, get people in place, have reportable and open meetings – we just have to get everything out where people can see Sundown Salute and then they won’t fear so much that they’re throwing their money away,” said Sands.

Four days of celebrations are being considered for next July, but nothing is finalized at this point.

The January 3rd meeting is at the Municipal Building in downtown Junction City.