Oneida County To Consider Sale Of Sparklers

The sale of sparklers may soon be legal in Oneida County.

The Oneida County Board of Legislators is set to consider a local law at its meeting on Wednesday to allow for the sale of sparklers around the Fourth of July and again around New Year's Eve.

Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a law in 2014 to allow counties to approve the sale of certain firework items for limited periods of time.

35 counties have elected to sell sparklers, including Herkimer and Madison.

Chairman of the Board Gerald Fiorini said, “Legalizing the sale of sparklers will add revenue for the county.”

The fireworks industry estimates that the economic impact of revenue in Oneida County is between $500,000 and $1 million. One store in Madison County reported earnings of $90,000 between June and July of 2015.

The Board of Legislators is encouraging residents to contact their local elected officials to share their thoughts.  For contact information, visit ocgov.net.