ESCONDIDO -- Several of Escondido's most cherished traditions, including the annual Christmas parade and First Night Escondido, may be eliminated or scaled back because city officials decided last month to stop providing free police officers for the events.

The move will save the city $68,000 per year and help close a projected $9 million deficit for the fiscal year that begins Tuesday.

Organizers of the events, which also include Cruisin' Grand, the American Legion Fireworks and the Grape Day Festival, said paying for police would force them to sharply scale back their events or secure large donations from the private sector.

Some event organizers also complained that they got very little warning about the policy change, and others said it was frustrating to undergo a second round of budget cuts after coping with a first set of cuts in March.

City Councilman Sam Abed said Monday that the cuts were regrettable but necessary to help the city balance its budget. He also said a recent city analysis of local nonprofit organizations determined that many are prospering financially.

Abed recommended the groups ask local businesses to fill the gap.

"They have to go to the private sector when things are tough like this," said Abed.

City officials said they might begin allowing event organizers to use more private security and fewer police officers, but no decisions have been made on that subject. The police department charges event organizers $58 per hour for each officer they need, a department spokesman said.

The event hit hardest by the change will apparently be the Jaycees Christmas Parade, with organizers predicting the demise of the 57-year-old tradition.

"If we don't come up with $15,000, which will be very hard, the event will be dead," said Wally Gutierrez, a longtime member of the Jaycees. "It's tough to raise that kind of money, especially in this economy. I've been doing the parade since I was in high school, so it's sad to see it go."

Gutierrez said organizers could possibly reduce expenses by shrinking the route, but he said the parade gets a high number of participants partly because the route is long enough to satisfy Rose Bowl parade selection criteria.

A shorter route would also fail to reduce fixed costs for judges and insurance, he said.

"Shrinking it would help, but not enough," said Gutierrez.

The American Legion Fireworks show will go on as usual Friday, but organizers had to launch a furious fund-raising drive in late June when they learned that they would have to pay $11,100 for police officers.

The new policy has also prompted the American Legion to approach future shows differently.

"From now on, we will try to have five or six corporate sponsorships at $2,000 a piece," said Joe Watt, commander of Escondido's American Legion post.

Post members have raised about one-fourth of what they need for this year, said Watt, explaining that a loan would be sought if they fall short.

The post had long ago secured the $24,000 required for the fireworks, but found out in June they would need extra money for police.

"If we had three or four months, we could have done it," said Watt. "But we got two weeks."

Watt said city officials assured him last week that there will be adequate police presence during the fireworks in Grape Day Park, which will take place at the same time as the city's weekly Cruisin' Grand car show just a few blocks away.

Fourteen officers will be assigned to the fireworks and six officers will be assigned to the car show, he said.

The policy change will cost the car shows an extra $15,000 between now and when the six-month season ends, and increase the annual cost of the shows next year from about $95,000 to $125,000.

The Downtown Business Association, which runs the shows, is searching for ways to cover the additional costs, according to chief executive Debra Rosen.

"I am not sure what we will do for next year with the economy being tough," said Rosen.

A brainstorming session among members could help yield some solutions, she said.

Rosen said association officials are not angry with the city, because the city was so generous during flush budget times.

In contrast, First Night Executive Director Debbi Stanley said she was frustrated that city officials tacked on $9,200 for police services just a few months after cutting the New Year's Eve celebration's annual stipend from $33,500 to just under $31,000.

"Why don't you just take away from us with both hands?" Stanley said.

The funding gap will require entertainment cuts and raising ticket prices at the door from $15 to $20, she said.

City officials said they hit local nonprofits with additional budget cuts only because they did not know how bad the budget would be when they asked for the first wave of cuts in March.

Contact staff writer David Garrick at (760) 740-5468 or dgarrick@nctimes.com.