Rutland, Framingham cancel July 4 fireworks over staffing, costs

Meanwhile, closer to Boston, Framingham made the “difficult” decision to call off its annual Stars and Stripes event as well, due to budget cuts and staff layoffs, the city said in a statement.

Last year’s celebrations held at the end of June featured fireworks over Farm Pond, live music and food, the city government’s website said.

The festivities were not renewed again this year, as “like many communities across the Commonwealth, the City of Framingham [faces] significant budget constraints.”

In Rutland, officials said the decision to cancel fireworks, a parade and a concert was based only on safety concerns, not a lack of funds.

“Our Police and Fire Chiefs have determined that they cannot safely support both the event and routine emergency services at the same time,” Rutland officials said.

“Moving forward under these conditions would put both attendees and the broader community at risk.”

The town still plans to host other July 4th traditions such as the Junior Olympics, road race, pancake breakfast, and volleyball tournament.

Rutland’s July 4th committee had already raised enough money to run the events, the town said.

The town government considered hiring outside staff, but decided it would raise further safety issues without a “unified command structure” or “coordinated operations,” officials said.

Rutland raises funds for the annual activities from donations, the July 4th committee’s website said. Last year’s celebrations cost about $55,000, according to the website.

The committee will not be returning donations since some funds were already spent, officials said. Remaining money will be used for future July 4th celebrations, the statement said.

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Chloe Pisani can be reached at chloe.pisani@globe.com.