BELHAVEN — Residents and visitors were disappointed Tuesday night when the Town of Belhaven was forced to cancel its fireworks display.

Washington’s fireworks went off as scheduled, but strong thunderstorms in eastern Beaufort County stifled plans for Belhaven’s show, according to Belhaven Manager Woody Jarvis.

Jarvis said afternoon storms with thunder and lightning prevented the crew from setting up for the fireworks, and by the time the rain slacked off around 7 p.m., it was too late to begin the hours-long setup process. The professional crew needed several hours to prepare.

“On a work night, that’s just way too late,” Jarvis said. “There’s so much money involved that the town council is going to have to talk about it and decide what they want to do.”

The Town of Belhaven upped the ante on its plans for a fireworks display, in honor of the milestone 75^th year of the town’s Fourth of July celebration.

The Town budgeted $10,000 for purchasing more fireworks, and the Beaufort County Board of Commissioners contributed another $5,000. For every $1,000, about 50 more fireworks could be purchased, Jarvis reported at a meeting earlier this year.

“We’re thinking about the options. We are not exactly sure where we are with the company financially,” Jarvis said, adding that some of the cost had to be paid up front. “They’re working with us and waiting for us to determine when we’d like to do them.”

Jarvis said he plans to talk with Board of Aldermen members to determine the next steps on the fireworks display. The fireworks could be used at events later in the year, or at the latest, for the next Fourth of July, he added.

As of Thursday, Jarvis said he was unsure what the board members will decide to do.

The board can talk about this decision in an informal setting, and if needed, make a decision at the next regular meeting, which is slated for Monday.