The Sublette Village Board cannot agree when it comes to voting on a donation to the upcoming Hops and Harmony festival.

Hops and Harmony is an annual event in Sublette, now in its sixth year, featuring craft breweries from northern Illinois and Chicago, as well as a lineup of musical entertainment.

The event, scheduled for Sept. 12, takes place in Centennial Park in Sublette. Tickets for the beer tasting and country concert cost $44, and tickets for the country concert cost $34.

This year’s featured performer is country music star Phil Vassar. Opening for Vassar is country performer Drew Baldridge.

For the past two years, the Village Board has donated $5,000 to help sponsor the event.

At the June 8 board meeting, plans to donate the same amount this year hit a snag.

A motion by trustee Scott Hanson, seconded by Hugh McCoy, to donate $5,000 to help sponsor Hops and Harmony failed in a voice vote, with Julie Kessel, Larry Ellis and Rich Klaser voting no.

Kessel said she was concerned that the village wouldn’t have enough money left to donate to Sauk Valley Community College’s Impact Program.

Village treasurer Will Klein said the donation for the Impact Program would be taken out of the dues and donations line item in the village budget, while the donation to Sublette 365 for the Hops and Harmony event would come from village celebrations. He said there currently is $10,000 in the village celebrations fund.

Kessel proposed donating $3,000 to Hops and Harmony. She said the smaller amount would leave money in the celebrations fund for future events, such as the Christmas Walk.

“I’m not against 365. They gave away $40,000 last year to different events. If they’re going to have these big events, they should really start saving money back for their next year’s thing,” Kessel said.

“They operate on sponsorships. They carry a bank account, but each year, for the main event, fund that on sponsorships. We put it in the budget. It’s a community event. It benefits the community,” Hanson said.

“Three thousand dollars isn’t bad for a community event,” Kessel said.

“It’s a kick in the teeth when you’ve given them $5,000 for the last two years,” Hanson said.

A motion by Kessel and seconded by Larry Ellis to donate $3,000 to Hops and Harmony failed on a roll call vote, with Hanson, McCoy and Klaser voting no. Trustee Mackenzie Belan was absent.

A Kessel/Hanson motion to donate $1,000 a year for the next three years to the Sauk Valley Community College Impact Program passed unanimously.

Hanson said he intends to bring the donation up at the village board’s July meeting.

“We’ll bring it up next month, at the next meeting when we have a full board,” Hanson said.