A Halloween display has created a dispute after a Raleigh, North Carolina, homeowner says he had to obtain a special events permit from the city. The new requirement would significantly increase costs for the annual display, which homeowner Jesse Jones said he has spent years curating.
ABC-11 reported on the story this week. The television station said Jones told them he has paid for off-duty police and street closures out of his own pocket in previous years. This year, though, the city is requiring him to obtain a city special event permit because nearby streets are closed during the Halloween festivities in the historic neighborhood.
“So now with this special event, I would predict the cost would be around $6,000 some dollars to close the street, and I have to get the barricades I have to put out in front of the roadblocks. So it’s almost like, why even do it?” he said.
Jones said he brought his concerns to a recent meeting of the Raleigh City Council, saying his display should not be considered a special event and asked city leaders to help address safety concerns without the additional permit requirements.
“People don’t trust our government because of this type of bureaucracy. This should be something that should have been fixed with the phone call,” he told ABC-11.
Jones said he has annual visitors from as far away as China and Dublin, Ireland, who come to see his extensive decorations. Neighbors added that the display is already attracting visitors in the weeks leading up to October 31.
