Village of Forsyth officials are more than happy to reap the sales tax benefits from out-of-town guests.

Just don't attend their party.

That's pretty much the message Forsyth officials sent about the recent Family Fest held in the village in June.

Darci Wilson, a Springfield resident, called for some information on the event and was told the Family Fest was for Forsyth residents. Her impression, which proved correct, was that out-of-towners weren't invited.

In addition, organizers of the Family Fest asked the Herald & Review not to publicize the event, even though the parade blocked off U.S. 51 for a short period of time on a busy Saturday morning. Village Trustee Marilyn Johnson, who chaired the committee that set up the event, said they wanted to limit attendance at the festival to Forsyth residents as much as possible.

Part of the reason is to keep the festival free to those who attend. But that's not the only explanation.

Mayor Hap Gilbert said the festival, "is kind of an opportunity for a family get-together of a sort. It's kind of Forsyth Family Fest, and we kind of consider ourselves all one big family here. It's something we look forward to every year. It's a real good opportunity for our folks to get together, mingle and have a good time together."

If you live outside of Forsyth, it's hard not to take offense at Gilbert's remarks. Does he really mean that folks from Decatur, Maroa, Mount Zion, Warrensburg or Argenta would ruin their little family get-together? Is he really that ungrateful to the people who spend money in his community?

There is no argument that Forsyth is in a unique position among villages of its size. Because of Hickory Point Mall and surrounding retail development, the community's activities are heavily funded by sales tax. Those taxes come from all of the people who spend money at the mall and the other places.

It's safe to say without the sales tax benefits from out-of-towners, the village of Forsyth might not be able to afford a two-day free Family Fest with a budget of $45,000. It should also be noted that when a decision on the shopping mall occurred, Decatur dropped the ball and Forsyth was ready.

Essentially, Forsyth village officials are telling those folks who helped pay for the party that they aren't invited. It's like making one branch of the family tree pay for the reunion, but not inviting them to the event.

What Forsyth officials apparently fail to grasp is that the communities in the area are co-dependent on each other. If out-of-towners didn't spend money in Forsyth, village operations would be much different. At the same time, Forsyth offers housing and other opportunities that are important to recruiting top level professionals to the area.

In the final analysis, how Forsyth chooses to handle its Family Fest isn't that big a deal.

What is a big deal is the attitude that's behind their actions.