Budget woes shut down River Hills' ice cream social

River Hills — It may be one of the wealthiest communities in the state, but the village is canceling its annual September ice cream social because of a tight budget.

Village President Robert Brunner explained the decision, attributing some of it to a number of resignations on the Ice Cream Social Committee that left only two active members, the rest on a lack of adequate funding.

"In light of the challenges for the 2010 budget, I didn't think it appropriate to continue to fund the social out of taxpayer money," Brunner said.

He asked the River Hills Foundation to fund the event, and they offered $2,500, which might seem adequate for ice cream and toppings for a village with a population of 1,625.

"The anticipated expenditures are more than that," Brunner said.

Village Manager Tom Tollaksen said the cost of the event varies between $3,000 to $4,000 a year. The social includes a bouncy house for children, a musical quartet, cotton candy and soda. The current village budget is tight, projected to be $658 over budget at year's end.

Brunner said he was hopeful the event would return - with adequate funding - in 2010.