Rutland, Massachusetts cancels Fourth of July events, citing staffing concerns. Critic calls it "political payback."

Two communities in Massachusetts have canceled their Fourth of July festivities for reasons that include staffing shortages, officials said. The decision has been met with backlash in one of the towns, however, as one critic accuse leaders of "political payback."

The Rutland fire and police department released a statement along with the 4th of July Committee on Wednesday about the cancellation of the town's fireworks, parade, and concert. Officials said the decision was not made for financial reasons.

Staffing concerns in Rutland

"The decision to cancel was not made lightly. Although the 4th of July Committee successfully raised the funds needed for the event, the celebration cannot take place without adequate public safety staffing. Police, fire, and EMS personnel are essential to ensure the safety of attendees, manage traffic, and maintain emergency response coverage throughout the town," the town said. "Due to anticipated staffing limitations, our Police and Fire Chiefs have determined that they cannot safely support both the event and routine emergency services at the same time."

The town said that proceeding with the events "would put both attendees and the broader community at risk."

Some of Rutland's traditional Fourth of July events will still be held, such as the Junior Olympics, road race, pancake breakfast, and volleyball tournament.

The heated subject came up at a Rutland town meeting Wednesday night, where leaders called for tempers to simmer down. 

"For anyone out there who is angry and upset we understand, but to have taken it out on the employees and in some cases the volunteers who have nothing to do with it, it is not OK," said chairwoman Sheila Dibb.

Carl Boquist was at the meeting hoping to get answers.

"Massively disappointed. I spent a lot of money already on it. I put a float in the parade every year because my dad did when we were kids. And all my grandkids ride on that float," he said.

Some at the meeting, meanwhile, said they understood the decision.

"There's 12,000-15,000 people. You don't have proper people there, fire, ambulance services, etc., and there's a disaster, the town becomes liable," Lou Cornacchioli said.  

Political payback?

The announcement in Rutland came a few weeks after voters rejected an override of Proposition 2 1/2, which now means four police officers and five firefighters will lose their job.   

The Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance condemned the move to cancel the events, and called for the Attorney General to step in since people and businesses who privately raised donations won't get their money back.

"The decision by Rutland officials is inexcusable and the local officials making this decision should immediately resign," said Paul Diego Craney, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance. "These officials pushed for an override vote, lost, and are now extracting political payback by taking away something the town enjoys during the 250th anniversary of the nation's independence." 

Craney accused town officials of "having a temper tantrum and trying to inflict pain on its own residents." He called it "politics in its worst form."

Framingham Stars & Stripes canceled

In Framingham, the city's annual Stars & Stripes event that was scheduled to take place at the end of June has been canceled as the city faces budget concerns. Last year, Framingham touted that the summer celebration would include "an unforgettable evening of music, food, and a grand fireworks display over Farm Pond."

"Like many communities across the Commonwealth, the City of Framingham is facing significant budget constraints," a city spokesperson said in a statement. "Due to limited staffing resources and ongoing financial challenges, including budget cuts and school and municipal layoffs, the City has made the difficult decision to cancel the annual Stars & Stripes event scheduled for June 2026."