Councilman’s funding saves Cleveland fireworks display

CLEVELAND (AP) — A Cleveland city councilman has stepped forward with funding to save the city’s Fourth of July fireworks display, the largest in northeast Ohio.

Organizers say they were on the verge of canceling this year’s fireworks because the county government couldn’t come up with its $35,000 share of the costs due to budget problems.

But officials said Tuesday the show would go on thanks to Councilman Joe Santiago, who pledged $30,000 in taxpayer money from his office’s discretionary fund.

Santiago says the Fourth without fireworks in Cleveland would have been a great loss.

The city already pays $50,000 for extra police, portable toilets and other services related to the light show.