THE year ahead will undoubtedly be tough for the city council as it seeks to balance its books.
Some hard decisions will certainly have to be made by the Lib Dem-SNP administration in order to clawback a deficit that is still heading for £5 million.
Increasing the charges which the city levies for closing streets in order to accommodate majo
r events will certainly be a tempting route.
This is especially true when the council can rightly say they would be simply covering their own costs, rather than seeking to make a profit from event organisers.
But the council must tread very carefully when it considers this particular matter.
It would be far too easy to drive away events which bring significant benefits to Edinburgh.
Among those which could be faced with dramatically increased charges include the Moonwalk and Great Scottish Walk, which both raise large amounts for charity.
The organisers of the Great Scottish Walk have already said they would have to consider moving to another city if their costs went up significantly.
It would be shameful if the Capital was no longer able to host such popular and worthwhile events.
The council is no doubt aware of this risk and will surely look to keep any increases to a minimum for charities.
Its eyes are more likely to fall on the companies which stage commercial events, ranging from pop concerts at Murrayfield and Meadowbank stadiums to sporting attractions such as the Edinburgh Half Marathon.
Under the previous Labour regime, the organisers of the Edinburgh Marathon saw the amount they were asked to pay rise from £54,000 to £135,000.
They now hire their own stewards, rather than pay the council, which saves the city money.
This may seem like a win-win situation for council taxpayers.
But there is no guarantee the outcome will be the same if other companies are told they must pay more for the same service they received before.
Many other cities see the value of such events, in terms of prestige, the financial benefits for local business and the enjoyment of many of its residents. Dublin for instance is willing to waive all such costs for it's marathon.
If Edinburgh sets its prices too high, there will be many other cities willing to welcome these enterprises with open arms.
This is one instance where in trying to save money there is a real risk of costing Edinburgh dear.
The full article contains 410 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
