Plans for new Christmas decorations along the annual paraderoute and other areas in future years are moving forward, saidBrookhaven-Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce officials.

This is the first year of a three-phase plan to add newdecorations in downtown and elsewhere in the city.

“The parade route will be first, and then we’ll go from there,”said Rita Rich, parade chairwoman.

Chamber officials were expecting the shipment of new decorationsin early October.

“They’re ordered and should be on the way,” said Kay Burton,program director for the chamber.

Burton said the decorations include banners, lights to bewrapped around tree trunks along the parade route and a lightedskyline decor to be draped over the streets at the parade’sstarting and stopping points. She added that current decorationswill continue to be used for the parade.

The chamber plan called for $9,000 on decorations this year,with $3,000 each from the city, county and chamber of commerce.However, supervisors voted 3-2 against the request during a recentmeeting.

“Money’s tight,” said District Three Supervisor Nolan EarlWilliamson, who voted against the move along with Supervisors GaryWalker and Doug Moak.

Walker mentioned other ways that county residents assist withcity activities.

“You’ve got a lot of people in the county who come into the cityand pay sales tax,” Walker said. “They’re helping Brookhaven abunch like that.”

Chandler Russ, the chamber’s executive vice-president, saidofficials are using $3,000 in city funds and $3,000 from thechamber and other sources for this year’s decorations. He wasunderstanding of the county’s situation.

“The city chose to participate, and the county, with a tightbudget, didn’t feel like they could come up with the funds,” Russsaid.

Next year, plans call for new banners along Monticello Streetfrom Hamilton Street to Brookway Boulevard and the remainingportion of West Cherokee Street. The estimated cost for that phaseis $12,000.

In year three, new banners are planned for Brookway Boulevardpast Interstate 55. That phase of the project is estimated at$14,000.

Russ indicated that funding will a factor in whether newdecorations are installed as planned or if the project isreduced.

“We’ll have to scale back the project to the funds we haveavailable,” Russ said.

In other decorations activity, Burton said King’s DaughtersMedical Center officials are using similar colors as the chamberfor new banners to be placed on hospital property. She said thatwould help provide a uniform look for holiday decorations.

“I thought that was a good idea,” Burton said.