A disagreement has erupted over the funding of the annual Christmas tree in Hunts Cross, with one city councillor insisting she is “not Scrooge” while another seeks sponsorship to cover the full cost.
The tree, traditionally 22ft tall and located in Hunts Cross Community Garden, has for years been installed and paid for by ward members using their neighbourhood funding allocation. This year, a quote of more than £2,800 was obtained for the tree's provision.
Councillor declines to contribute
Independent Cllr Mirna Juarez said her former party colleague, Liberal Democrat Cllr Josie Mullen, had “declined to contribute” the required amount towards the display. This leaves Cllr Juarez to fund the entire cost herself.
“I am trying to find alternative sources of money to cover the shortfall and would be grateful if any local businesses would be willing to sponsor the tree,” she said. “This will avoid any knock-on effects on local community groups and good causes that I support. The tree and lights in Woolton Village is being funded this year by a local business.”
Cllr Juarez, who has lived in the area for 26 years, said Hunts Cross has always had a 22ft tree, the same size as the one in Woolton Village, and that this is what the community has come to expect. She attributed the high cost to requirements around health, safety and electricity.
Community tradition defended
The councillor highlighted the annual switch-on event, where Father Christmas and his elf attend and children from Hunts Cross Primary School sing Christmas songs. She described it as “a lovely community event and a treasured local tradition which gets the festive season under way and is enjoyed by many residents.” She also noted the garden was gifted to the area by the family of actress Rita Tushingham.
Cllr Mullen, who returned to the city council in a by-election last January, told the ECHO she felt the way her former Liberal Democrat colleague had behaved was “despicable” but denied being “a Scrooge.” She said a 22ft tree with one string of lights would cost £1,300 over the whole £5,000 fund.
Call for smaller tree
Cllr Mullen said she paid for the tree last year but had no say in its organisation, and that she volunteers for the Woolton Village tree, which is her focus. She suggested procuring a smaller 12ft tree, a proposal she alleged was rejected by her ward colleague.
“I’m not being a Scrooge, there’s a lot of poor areas in our ward and if I asked the people who live there what they’d rather have, warm clothing or a tree outside the station? I love Christmas but £2,800 is daylight robbery,” she said. Cllr Mullen added she was “very disappointed” at how the situation had developed, noting that she and Cllr Juarez had never argued since she became independent, and that “what she’s done is despicable but I’m not going to waste council money or my neighbourhood fund.”
