The Murphy City Council has agreed to cancel this year’s Tunes, Tails & Ales festival because of a nearly two-thirds increase in price.
Kayla McFarland, manager of recreation services, said vendor SBG Hospitality had raised its bid for a spring event from the $55,000 quoted last year to $90,000.
Council agreed to cancel the event and reallocate the city’s $16,000 overtime budget to other events, possibly including the Sounds at Sundown summer concert series.
The Feb. 6 council meeting was the first for new City Manager Aretha Adams and the last for Interim City Manager Allen Barnes.
Adams announced at the meeting that she had decided to hire Interim Police Chief Jeff Gibson as the city’s permanent chief. Gibson, a former chief of police in Bedford and Gunter, had served since the departure of Chief Chris Chandler.
Also at the meeting, Mayor Scott Bradley issued a proclamation honoring the Murphy Firefighters Association and the Housewives of Murphy for their practice of adopting a family for Christmas.

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