The Guardian has issued the following report:

The City of Charlottetown (Prince Edward Island, Canada) is doing the right thing in agreeing to pay for police and fire services when AEROSMITH puts on its concert in the capital city this July.

When the Black Eyed Peas came to town last year, it was the promoter who had to pay the bill for security. And when the same promoter approached the city a month or so ago with the proposal for an Aerosmith concert, the city insisted that he pay the $17,000 he still owed on the Peas concert before getting any go-ahead for Aerosmith.

Maybe it’s the new faces on council, but there has obviously been a change of heart about who should pick up the tab for such services. Council voted 5-3 last week to pay costs for police and fire services needed for the Aerosmith show.

It’s a cost the city should pay. Concerts of this size generate excitement and the economic activity that comes with that. While it may cost the city $25,000 — that’s what the promoter says should be the upper limit — it gains the spinoff benefits of a busy and active city. An estimated 25,000 concert-goers bring a lot of business with them. They eat, shop, fill their gas tanks and use many other services in the capital city area.

The capital city has to expect that this kind of a crowd will also place extra demands on our police and fire services. While the promoter should be responsible for on-site security, the city should assume responsibility for what goes on within its municipal boundaries. And if it intends to play host to concerts like the Aerosmith one, it has to demonstrate it’s willing to lay on the required policing and fire services.