The Whitemarsh Township Board of Supervisors held a special meeting at Colonial Elementary School in Plymouth Meeting (Whitemarsh Township) on May 22nd to discuss its decision to cancel the annual July 4th Parade following a safety review and recommendation from Chief of Police Christopher Ward.

Only two township supervisors were in attendance: Fran McCusker and Emily Moy. At the start of the meeting, it was announced that Supervisor Jacy Toll was with her terminally ill sister, Supervisor Patrice Turenne was recovering from surgery, and Supervisor Vincent Manuele was in Italy.

The meeting began with McCusker apologizing for the lack of transparency surrounding the parade’s cancellation and stating that the parade won’t happen in 2025 but that there is an opportunity to celebrate in the future. Supervisor Moy shared similar sentiments later in the meeting.

That led to short presentations by the heads of the township’s parks and recreation and finance departments and Chief Ward. What was outlined was a process that was an ongoing concern for Chief Ward about the parade based on information he received from various state and federal agencies. His thinking on the issue solidified when he attended a presentation by first responders from Highland Park, IL, which saw its parade attacked in 2022.

From this, research was done on what was needed to protect the parade, which included the potential to rent or purchase needed safety equipment. However, it was discovered that even if it was ordered, no vendor could deliver it on time for the parade.

There was then a recommendation to the board of supervisors and they voted on May 8th to cancel the parade.

Approximately 250 people attended the public meeting, and we are told another 200 participated online.

During the public comment period, those choosing to speak expressed concerns about the lack of transparency, the timing of the decision, and the overall decision-making process. The public also shared what the parade meant to their families and the township.

There were also questions about why other towns are able to hold such events, the budget for the parade and other township events, the sharing of safety equipment between municipalities, and a general sentinment that cancelling is an expression of living in fear.

During the meeting via Zoom, Montgomery County Commissioner Neil Makhija was offered the opportunity to speak, and he shared that he is going to propose that the county purchase vehicle prevention barriers that would be shared with municipalities in the future.

The public and officials also discussed the fact that the Borough of Conshohocken and the Municipality of Norristown own vehicle prevention barriers and why they could not be borrowed or rented for the parade due to the two municipalities holding events for the holiday.

Public members expressed openness to holding the parade on another day, such as July 5th, and wondered why the supervisors hadn’t considered this as an option. The option of moving the parade to Colonial Drive (essentially through the Colonial School District property) was also discussed, as it would limit the number of access points.

As the night progressed, the public began to demand that the parade be held in 2025, and Supervisor Fran McCusker relented and said he would propose holding a special meeting to consider it. However, to do that quickly, they would need to have a quorum (three of the five members present), and he instructed the staff to determine when that was possible and what was legally required to hold a vote. There was also a question as to whether the vote that was held to cancel the parade was done properly, and the solicitor and township manager were instructed to review the video and make that determination.

So what is next?

It is important to note that the township staff and first responders all stood down from planning the parade. Since they were no longer scheduled to work due to the parade, they may have made other plans, so there could be staffing issues for the holiday weekend.

The township will announce whether a special meeting will be held to reconsider. Please note that since only two supervisors were present, at least one more will need to sign off on this plan (that is why we used the word “may” in the headline.

A determination that the vote to cancel was done properly? If it is decided that it wasn’t, then there needs to be a discussion on how to move forward with it, alter it, or they may decide to cancel it the proper way.

The township will seek more public support for the parade or whatever is planned for the future. This will involve forming an active committee to help organize, fundraise, etc.

Photo: Supervisor Fran McCusker speaking at the meeting.