Analysis: Downtown Christmas Tree a Money-Saving Holiday Treat
Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer
The official holiday kick off downtown is set for Friday, and at the center of the event is the county’s enormous 47-foot Christmas tree. The downtown tradition is fairly recent and is the result of a vote by the county council eight years ago to shake things up for the holidays.
When Anderson County Council approved the purchase of a 28-foot Majestic Mountain Pine artificial Christmas tree in 2015, there were more than a few wondering if the news was good tidings of great joy for taxpayers. But as we move into eight seasons with the tree, the news is all merry and bright.
In spite of continuing to add new lights, decorations and extending the height of the tree each year, has already posted a savings to the county of close to $100,000 compared to the costs of bringing in a live, cut tree each of those years.
The total expenses for the tree, which now tops 46 feet, since 2015 come in at around $50,000. The costs related to purchase, setup, removal and disposal of a live Christmas tree on the courthouse square over the same period would have topped $150,000. The holiday savings will continue to grow in Anderson County’s Christmas fund for at least another seven years, since the artificial tree is under warranty until 2030.
In 2015, some argued in favor of annually bringing in a live tree or planting a tree to replace the non-traditional Magnolia tree used at Christmas which was dying on the town square after being damaged by an ice storm. As the cost of dragging in large live trees escalated, experts were united that the land in front of the “new” courthouse was not fertile soil for keeping a live tree to flourish, and the decision to buy an artificial one was made by the county council.
The decision was made to purchase an artificial tree on scale with an eye toward returning to the old days of buying a similarly sized live tree each holiday season marked the county square holiday season.
The choice continues to save green in the county’s budget.
According to one national tree growers’ group, the cost of buying, transporting and hauling away a comparably sized live tree would cost approximately $20,000 each year, delivered, with additional costs for setup (based on 2022 prices), plus the cost of lights and decorations (which though not recurring, require most costly replacements - especially lights - which take more of a beating when removed from a live tree).
Added to the annual cost of a live tree is an additional two weeks of labor costs to the county, since traditionally it has taken a full week to set up and another week to take down a live, cut tree on the square, including the time to decorate and undecorated the tree (and the substantial cleanup). The price tag based on needed personnel totals $9,000. There are also additional setup and disposal costs related to the removal of a live 30-foot tree, which can run $1,000. (The artificial tree takes less than half the time to set up and decorate – and take down - cutting labor costs by more than half.)
Thus, the annual costs of a 46-foot live, cut tree to the county, (assuming costs remain constant, which is unlikely), would be roughly $35,000 per year. Over 15 years, live trees on the county square would have pulled $400,000 from the county budget.
Instead, the county purchased the Majestic Mountain Pine, fully decorated and lighted artificial tree for $25,000 in 2015. The cost, including labor and maintenance and updates for the current artificial tree (including planned upgrades), will total roughly $350,000 over those same two 15 years, including routine replacement of lights and ornaments.
Saving that much in taxpayer funds over 15 holiday seasons, with a tree that would be difficult to match in any form is something even old Scrooge himself would have trouble criticizing.
The popularity of the tree has increased traffic downtown from the visitors coming to see the tree has been remarkable. Many of whom come to see the tree, stay to eat downtown or visit Carolina Wren Park’s Holiday Ice to skate. School groups, church groups, and families are regularly seen gathering around the tree taking photographs. Some have been married there. The tree has also been a spot where visitors regularly leave warm clothing, scarves, hats and gloves for the less fortunate.
The official annual ceremony officially kicking off the Christmas season downtown is set for Friday, and this year there will be quite a few extras at the event.
The big, beautiful, artificial county Christmas tree downtown is a gift that keeps on giving, thanks to forward thinking by leadership in Anderson County.
So, if you see your county council representative this holiday season, wish them Merry Christmas and offer thanks. And thank Anderson County Administrator Rusty Burns, who loves Christmas perhaps as much as I do (and that is a bit disturbing to some since I start listening to holiday tunes in May). It was his vision and research that led to the path to purchase the tree, and it is the lighted Santa in his window on the second floor of the historic courthouse that announces the holidays have arrived.
