Let there be light in the city of Butler, but not Christmas lights.

According to a prepared statement, the city is in the process of replacing old street lights on Main Street with a “stylish” black pole that will illuminate the city's streets and sidewalks. But the new light installation, expected to be completed this December, will come at the cost of Christmas lights. This year, they will not be installed.

The lighting project was funded through a loan from the Butler County Infrastructure Bank Loan program. Payment of the loan will be from a restricted streetlight tax revenue source. Efforts to replace the lights started after many of the bases that anchor the old light poles began to deteriorate, causing them to become unstable and unsafe.

The city expects to receive the lights from the manufacturer in the first week of December and the installation process will begin immediately. But next year the Christmas lights will be back. The new light poles were manufactured with brackets built-in to hold the Christmas lights, allowing future installation to be easier.

But that doesn't mean Christmas in Butler will be canceled. According to the press release, the city is trying to figure out another way to “create a holiday atmosphere.”