Would establish formula-based event fees but leave Mardi Gras parades largely unchanged
Heavy-turnout lakefront parades could face daunting financial obstacles
3K turnout could cost $20K
MANDEVILLE — A proposed rewrite of Mandeville’s parade and special-event rules — one that could push the price tag for large lakefront parades into the tens of thousands of dollars — is up for a vote at the January 8th City Council meeting.
Supporters say Ordinance 25-34 brings transparency, fairness and modern safety standards to a growing calendar of large events that often strain the Old Mandeville neighborhood. Critics contend the cost structure could discourage community-based parades and festivals by shifting major costs onto organizers.
The measure was formally introduced at the December 18th City Council meeting and would make sweeping changes to how most non-Mardi Gras parades and special events are permitted, routed and paid for.
As proposed, the ordinance would shift Mandeville away from its current discretionary approach to event permitting and toward an attendance-based, formula-driven system that requires organizers to reimburse the city for public-safety and operational costs such as police, fire, EMS, sanitation and traffic control. Fees would be calculated in advance, with the city retaining authority to bill additional costs if events exceed projected attendance.
The ordinance also would restrict most non-Mardi Gras parades to two predefined routes along Lakeshore Drive, tighten enforcement standards for participant behavior and create a new permit category for post-parade assemblies that significantly impact traffic or public spaces.
While the ordinance does not assign dollar values, a minimum-cost estimate based on the required staffing levels and typical municipal overtime rates places the permit cost for a Lakeshore Drive parade turning up Girod Street with about 3,000 attendees at approximately $15,000 to $20,000 or more, depending on final staffing and route conditions as well as other factors that cannot be determined without more information.
Post-parade gatherings would be restricted to designated special event areas, such as the Mandeville Trailhead, Sunset Point Park, or Lakeshore Park. Additionally, any stationary activity that extends beyond the typical disbandment of the parade — requiring police, EMS, sanitation, or traffic control services, involving amplified sound, vendors, or alcohol — would require separate approval and, in most cases, a separate permitting process.
As an example, the Northshore Pride parade, organized by Queer Northshore, would likely be affected in this manner. Last year’s event followed a Lakeshore Drive route turning up Girod Street, with organizers publicly estimating attendance at more than 3,000 people, and concluded with a separate staged gathering at the Mandeville Trailhead. Under the proposed ordinance as written, that combination of attendance size, route configuration and post-parade activities would most likely trigger the higher cost and permitting requirements cited above, including separate approval for the trailhead event.
Traditional Mardi Gras parades would largely be exempt from the new framework, with existing routes, seasonal rules and council discretion over cost sharing left intact.
The January 8th City Council meeting will start at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall.
(Editor’s note: Mandeville Daily independently calculated the estimate in this piece using the staffing framework in the proposed ordinance, police overtime rates published in the city’s FY2026 adopted budget, and conservative assumptions for other services. The City of Mandeville has not issued an official cost estimate, and actual charges could differ materially.)
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