The Local Source for News and Information Since 1980
RIDGELY — The Ridgely Town Commission’s September 8 meeting drew a full room. During the meeting, town officials discussed the future of Ridgely’s annual Christmas in Ridgely Winter Festival and heard a public request for financial records related to the event.
The Winter Festival, first launched in 2022, has quickly become one of the county’s largest holiday celebrations. It features Caroline County’s biggest light display, inflatables, holiday characters, ice skating rinks, photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus, food trucks, and more. But due to funding concerns, the event could be on its last legs.
During the meeting, Clerk-Treasurer Stephanie Berkey delivered a funding update for the upcoming festival. The festival’s total budget for 2025 is $53,765. So far, the town has received $5,440 in vendor fees and $22,740 in sponsorship donations, but has already expended $14,075. That leaves “about another $25,000 more” needed to cover costs.
Berkey told commissioners that the town is “definitely experiencing tough economic times.” She said, “Typically, we are at about 38,000 or 39,000 by this time. We are not as close as we have been in the past.” Berkey attributed the decreasing donations to an overall economic downturn: “Times are tough and people just aren’t donating as much.”
“Worst case scenario, I have about $18,595 of general fund money that would be used if we went ahead with it and no more donations came in as of today,” she noted, though she said she did not anticipate needing to use those funds.
Berkey asked commissioners for direction: “I’m at the point where I can still cancel things… how would you like to proceed?”
Commissioners expressed support for continuing the event, while suggesting cost-cutting measures. “I think we should continue with it, and there’s some stuff we can cut, like the ice sculptures I’m looking at, that’s $4,000,” said Commissioner John Hurley, who also proposed calling in favors for equipment such as light towers from the Greensboro Police Department. Berkey explained that the GPD has had to divert its light towers to Greensboro’s Whoville event during the same time period as the Winter Festival.
Commissioner Chad Liester agreed: “It looks like we could easily cut our $4,000 to $5,000 worth of stuff without devastating the event too much, I would think. So I would say continue.”
After hearing the other Commissioners’ comments, Commission President Brad Sears offered a directive to “keep on trucking.”
Berkey warned that the town may need to reconsider the festival’s long-term viability. “If this is the sign of things to come in the future, then perhaps this will be the last year for it. I mean, I hate to see it go, but I just don’t want it to become a burden for the town.”
The Commissioners plan to revisit the topic at their next meeting in October.
At the close of the meeting, public comment turned attention again to Winter Festival finances. Resident Jamie Romph, who ran earlier this year for a Ridgely commission seat, read a prepared statement formally requesting documents under the Maryland Public Information Act.
“Under the Maryland Public Information Act Title IV, I’m requesting an opportunity to obtain copies of the following records,” Romph said. His request included “donation names and monetary amounts for the town of Ridgely’s Christmas Fest slash Winter Fest, covering the years of 2022, 2023, and 2024, including the amount and donor names for the projected 2025 Christmas fest.”
He also asked for copies of payroll records and exact salaries for three town employees - David Crist, Stephanie Berkey, and Melissa Leonard - from the last several fiscal years. Romph additionally requested contracts for Ridgely’s Director of Operations, David Crist, covering 2024 through 2026, along with other payment records. He asked that any fees associated with locating and printing the records be waived, arguing, “the disclosure for the request of information is of public interest” and would contribute “to the understanding of the town of Ridgely’s budget and fiscal health.”
After the meeting, Berkey had no comment on Romph’s request.
