Tough times force cities to curtail holiday card tradition

It's a holiday tradition as old as fruitcake: City departments send out hundreds or even thousands of cards, sometimes simply swapping them with other offices in their building, and then display their bounty of printed goodwill on a door, cubicle ledge or table.

With tax revenue declining in the down economy, cities have become rather Grinch-like - or at least more thrifty - in spreading the holiday cheer.

While some have cut out cards altogether, others have reduced costs by slashing lists of recipients and creating cards in-house.

That's why Suffolk's Parks and Recreation department sponsored a children's contest to design its holiday card, and why the Chesapeake Fire Department used leftover cards from last year. In Portsmouth, the Redevelopment and Housing Authority cut its list of 600 recipients by 15 percent, and the City Council and city manager eliminated sending out cards entirely.

"While the Christmas card is a nice gesture, those funds can be used better elsewhere," Portsmouth City Clerk Debra White said. "That was - I hate to say it - an easy cut. It's just not high on the priority list when you have other demands."

Portsmouth previously had mailed as many as 5,000 cards - one to each of its employees and hundreds more to civic groups, businesses, community volunteers and politicians.

The cuts don't mean everybody's acting like Scrooge.

Portsmouth Sheriff Bill Watson sent out a deep red card embossed with gold foil. Norfolk City Manager Regina V.K. Williams sent out a traditional forest-green number wishing recipients friendship, happiness and peace.

Norfolk's Department of Cultural Facilities, Arts and Entertainment re used a design of local buildings commissioned last year but had staff tweak it so it appeared to be inside a snow globe. The cards were printed in-house to reduce costs, which with postage total ed about $500. To personalize the effort, each member of the department signed all 500 cards that were mailed out, said Steve Harper, acting department director.

The recipients mostly were companies that brought acts to city venues and vendors who provided services to places such as Harbor Park and Scope, Harper said.

Even in a weakening economy, he said, it made sense to keep up a holiday custom.

"It's really just a thank you for being a client and continuing to do business with us," he said. "Any business you're in is about relationships, and having good relationships is paramount. Clearly, sending a holiday card is not the only way to do that, but it's part of the mix."

Meghan Hoyer, (757) 446-2293, meghan.hoyer@pilotonline.com