Fireworks will be prohibited in Arlington beginning 2021

The new ordinance will not affect professional fireworks shows in the city

Consumer fireworks will be prohibited in the city of Arlington beginning with the 2021 Fourth of July.

City staff is currently working on the plan to rollout education and enforcement after the City Council voted to ban fireworks during their May 17 City Council meeting.

"In 2019 the City Council put a question on the ballot on if the city should ban consumer-grade fireworks," said city administrator Paul Ellis.

The vote passed narrowly, with 50.7 percent of the voters supporting a ban, which was a margin of just 64 voters.

The advisory vote was non-binding and was meant to give city officials guidance as they considered the question of whether to ban fireworks in the city for the Fourth of July.

"Cities have taken more and more of a stand against fireworks in recent years," said Ellis.

Arlington wanted to respond to those who voiced their concerns every year.

"It was mostly just the amount of complaints the city and the mayor received after each Fourth of July," said Ellis. "The noise and the amount of time that people were discharging them into the night.”

This led to the May vote which saw the Council split with five in favor and two against the ordinance.

"It's been our nation's way of celebrating Independence Day for hundreds of years," said Council member Don Vanney who voted against the ordinance.

He added he was skeptical about how enforceable the measure would be.

"I feel like it is a great way to celebrate our nation's independence and I don't want to remove that right and privilege from law-abiding citizens," said Council member Jesica Stickles.

Those for the ordinance said they recognized some people have good neighborhoods where fireworks aren't a problem, but that is not the same story everywhere.

"In our area it's a huge deal when it really sounds like an explosion," said Council member Jan Schuette. "It sounds like bombs.”

Council member Marilyn Oertle said that modern illegal fireworks are dangerous.

"I always enjoyed fireworks but unfortunately there's too many that are not safe and illegal that are being used. It's infringing on my holiday as well when I can't go outside," she said.

Council members for the ordinance also wanted to respect the results of the advisory vote.

The ordinance does not go into effect for the 2020 Fourth of July, but Ellis said it will be for the 2021 Fourth of July.

"This doesn't have any effect on professional fireworks shows," he said, so the city-run event, as well as school and church events can still be held in the city.

"We're working with the police department," on how the ordinance will be enforced, said Ellis.

"We will have an education component along with enforcement," he said, as the city doesn’t want to enforce laws the public isn't aware of.

"We are looking at Marysville's plan when they rolled it out, because that was an effective approach," said Ellis, and Arlington's rollout could be a similarly slow rollout.