Committee, council to consider allowing community groups at Salsa Festival

Maricopa’s elected officials will weigh in on a city staff decision to have performances at this year’s Salsa Festival focus on the event’s theme, which would exclude various community groups from performing at the March event.

City Manager Gregory Rose said Thursday the city’s Parks, Recreation and Libraries Committee will hear the issue at an upcoming meeting and make a recommendation to city council.

The decision to place the issue on the committee’s agenda was made Thursday and comes after several residents expressed concern to Rose and city council members about excluding community groups from performing.

The city staff’s decision to exclude groups, however, was made partly because the city will be expanding the number of performance opportunities for these groups throughout the year, Rose said.

The city plans to hold nine additional city events, including a concert series in the spring and fall and an event in December called Merry Copa.

The city’s Parks, Recreation and Libraries Committee meets on the fourth Wednesday of the month. An agenda is not yet available.

The Salsa Festival will be 2 to 8 p.m. March 29 at the new Copper Sky Recreation Complex.