By John Howell Sr.

Mayor Jerry Autrey’s attempt to add a fireworks display at the end of the Batesville Christmas parade failed on two occasions to attract the support of aldermen.

Autrey first proposed on November 6 that the city spend $3,000 to purchase the fireworks display, but aldermen took no action.

On Tuesday, a representative of Pyro-Fire of Olive Branch spoke — at the mayor’s invitation — to aldermen, describing the types of fireworks display he offered and providing assurances that the fireworks would not pose any threat from fire or falling debris.

Alderman Ted Stewart said that the fireworks company’s representative assuaged his reservations about the fireworks and initially appeared to favor their purchase, while aldermen Eddie Nabors and Teddy Morrow expressed reservations.

“I think if we’re going to do fireworks we ought to do it on the Fourth,” Morrow said.

“I just hate to upstage Santa Claus,” Nabors said.

“I’ll approve it for the Fourth of July,” Alderman Bill Dugger said.

Aldermen asked the mayor if he had sponsors to offset the city’s expenditure. Autrey had stated on November 6 that he would seek sponsors. On Tuesday he said that he had waited, pending board approval of the display.

“Y’all approve half of it and I’ll get the rest,” the mayor told the aldermen.

The Christmas Parade discussion prompted Nabors to chide his fellow aldermen: “If y’all will recall, when we got in the truck last year, the only person who had been to the candy store was me,” Nabors said, prompting a round of laughter in the room. Alderman Stan Harrison then made a motion for the city to purchase $100 worth of candy for the aldermen to throw from their vehicle during the parade.

“Can we do that?” the mayor asked Assistant City Attorney Colmon Mitchell.

“It’s Christmas, mayor; … That’d be the headline: ‘Attorney says aldermen can’t get candy for Christmas,’” he quipped.

“I’m going to raise that to $200,” Harrison said, amending, after further discussion among aldermen indicated that they would relegate spending money on fireworks to the Fourth of July, his motion on the candy purchase. “Is that legal, Colmon?”

“You may be justified under the statutes that allow the city to advertise ‘to bring the city to favorable notice,’” Mitchell said.