Union Explores Downtown Christmas Lights Project
Aldermen agreed to keep studying a permanent holiday lighting setup over Main Street requested by ReDiscover Union.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in City Hall
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The Union Board of Aldermen voted to continue exploring a permanent downtown Christmas light project requested by ReDiscover Union. ReDiscover Union asked the city to pay an estimated $26,560 for metal poles, guide wire and bored holes.
Why it matters
The city cannot donate public funds to a private entity under the Missouri Constitution, so the request must follow bidding, engineering and prevailing wage requirements. Residents would not see a permanent holiday light setup in time for the 2026 season.
ReDiscover Union requested an estimated $26,560 from the city for metal poles, guide wire and bored holes along Main Street from Washington Avenue to Church Street. The project still requires a budget amendment, a bid process, an engineer and prevailing wages, and its final cost has not been set.
The players
Russell Rost
Russell Rost is a member of the Union Board of Aldermen who made the motion to continue exploring the lighting project with ReDiscover Union.
ReDiscover Union
ReDiscover Union is a local downtown revitalization organization that requested the city fund the permanent Christmas light project.
The details
The lights would be held by metal poles and guide wire installed with bored holes, spanning Main Street from Washington Avenue to Church Street. A downtown community improvement district could eventually pay for the setup, and the city may need to coordinate with Ameren Missouri on connecting to its poles.
Timeline
Nov. 20: Union Furniture Christmas Block Party held downtown.
Nov. 28: United Bank of Union Small Business Christmas event.
2026 holiday season: Permanent light setup will not be ready.
Three to four months: Expected duration of the approval process.
City Hall
Missouri's constitutional bar on donating public funds to private organizations shapes how Union can support downtown projects like ReDiscover Union's proposed holiday lights. Any city funding must pass through bidding, engineering review and prevailing wage requirements before it can move forward.
Union residents and downtown businesses will not see a permanent holiday light display in the 2026 season because the project must clear bidding and budget steps first. Any future setup may be partly funded through a downtown community improvement district.
The takeaway
Local downtown projects requested from city government often depend on public bidding and budget amendments that can add months before work begins. Residents interested in these projects can follow council agendas for the budget amendment.
What happens next
The approval process for the lights project is expected to take three to four months, with a budget amendment still required.
Further reading
For more on how local budget decisions move through council, see City Hall coverage in Union.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Missourian.
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