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Hernando Today

Freedom Fest Gets Tourism Nod

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By MICHAEL D. BATES

Hernando Today

Published: November 25, 2008

BROOKSVILLE - The Brooksville Ministerial Association's annual Freedom Fest will get public financial assistance after all, thanks to a compromise agreement hammered out by the Hernando County Tourism Development Council.

But not everyone is happy about it.

A financial boost to Freedom Fest had been in doubt since the TDC, which earlier agreed to give the association $5,000 to help with promotion efforts, received complaints that the county was sponsoring a faith-based event.

The TDC, however, has tweaked the agreement to eliminate any religious connotations.

Chairwoman Bobbi Mills said the TDC would deal directly with the vendors and advertisers of the event and that none of the $5,000 would go from the tourism council to the BMA.

And the TDC stressed the money would be solely used to promote tourism in Hernando County, not to endorse any religious view.

The TDC received heat from the Southern Area Counsel of the Anti-Defamation League and the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, prompting the latest moves.

David Barkey, the Anti-Defamation League's Southern Area Counsel, said he is taking a "wait and see" attitude to find out how many religious elements will be present at the Freedom Fest.

"(The) TDC's public sponsorship of a ministerial association's faith-based concert sends a message of exclusion and preference to non-Christian members of the community," Barkey wrote in a memo.

Barkey told Hernando Today on Monday he is still not entirely pleased with the compromise.

It doesn't matter, Barkey said, if the TDC is giving money directly to the vendors and advertisers. It's still giving taxpayer dollars to support a religious event, he said.

"What needs to be understood is that under the federal Constitution, the government cannot endorse religious activities and under the Florida Constitution, taxpayer dollars can't be used to support those activities," Barkey said.

If the shoe were on the other foot, and this were a Jewish, Muslim or atheist festival, Barkey said, taxpayers would be angry.

But Mills said she believes the compromise has smoothed any ruffled feathers.

"We are giving (the BMA) $5,000 toward advertising for a family festival," Mills said Monday. "Absolutely nothing was religious in connotation."

Assistant County Attorney Jon Jouben, who sat in at the TDC meeting, said the compromise should absolve the county from any legal problems.

"I think it was the best result that could have been reached by the TDC under the circumstances," Jouben said Monday.

The TDC will do its own advertisements to promote the event with no religious messages, Jouben said. There will also be a disclaimer that the views of the sponsor of the event, the BMA, do not necessarily reflect those of the TDC.

"No money will go from the TDC to the Brooksville Ministerial Association," he said.

Jouben cited a similar case involving the city of Baltimore's financial backing in attracting the National Baptist Convention.

In both cases, the idea is to get tourists to the area and spend money, Jouben said.

The TDC routinely hears requests from organizations and individuals seeking financial assistance for tourism-related events.

TDC members take into consideration several criteria, including how many people an event would attract to Hernando County, its economic impact on local motels and campgrounds and marketing and promotion of the event.

Last year's Fourth of July event drew 15,000 people to Hernando County and generated thousands of dollars for the local economy, making it probably the "largest, single-day event we've ever had in Hernando County," according to Tourism Coordinator Sue Rupe.

Organizers are planning a county-western theme for next year's festival and trying to book big-name entertainers, including Charlie Daniels, Rupe said.

The Rev. William Oakley, pastor of Brooksville's First United Methodist Church, described the event in his application to the TDC as "a family-community gathering for fun, food, faith and fireworks - a multifaceted festival."

Oakley said the association consists of church pastors, youth ministers and para-church ministers and that any excess funds generated from the event would be used as start-up funds for the next event and to make donations to "people serving ministries-agencies."

Reporter Michael D. Bates can be reached at 352-544-5290 or mbates@hernandotoday.com.

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