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Eagle doles out $50K for community events, organizations

At the conclusion of the Eagle Flight Days parade, spectators spread out down Broadway while the Greater Eagle Fire Department cools off the crowd. The event is one of the recipients of the town of Eagle community requests fund.
Enterprise file photo |

The $50,000 the Eagle Town Board allocates to various community events, organizations and causes is arguably the most examined part of its annual budget.

“It’s more of the fun stuff for the town,”said Eagle Mayor Yuri Kostick of the $50,000 Eagle Community Grants program.

But deciding who gets funding is serious business, he noted. There was a total of $132,900 in community grants requests for the modest amount of available funding. The town actually trimmed its community requests budget from $60,000 to $50,000 this year. The town board approved 2014 community funding requests last week.



When faced with nearly three times more requests than available funding, the town board had to make some tough choices. “The Eagle Air Alliance request was $30,000 alone,” said Kostick .

Many of the requests were trimmed back from last year while other proposals did not receive town funding.

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“The priorities were for things that benefit the most people in town and that would not otherwise happen,” said Kostick.

He noted that signature Eagle events such as Flight Days, the July 4th fireworks and bike parade and the ShowDown Town concert series made the funding cut.

“Obviously we want to continue our traditions and we also wanted to start some new ones,” said Kostick. “We also tried to help some programs that help people out.”

In that category, the town earmarked $1,000 for the Cycle Effect program. The local non-profit has relocated to Eagle to continue its work with at-risk girls through biking events.

The $50,000 budget does include a $3,500 contingency so groups can make community grant requests as 2014 evolves, but the initial list for grant funding includes:

Eagle County Fair and Rodeo — $1,500

Eagle Valley Trout Unlimited — $200

Eagle Easter Egg Hunt — $500

July 4 fireworks — $10,000

Eagle Flight Days — $9,500

July 4 Bike Parade — $500

LG Triathlon — $700

ShowDown Town — $14,000

The Cycle Effect — $1,000

Eagle County Historical Society — $250

Eagle Farmers Market — $1,250

Eagle Valley High School Foundation — $500

Vail Valley Partnership — $1,100

Walking Mountains Science Center $1,500


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