FAYETTEVILLE — Fayetteville city leaders hope a little Christmas cheer will brighten up the future for downtown business.

For the first time, city officials decided to keep the Christmas lights up all yearlong in the downtown district. They say the lights will add to the city's character, but not everyone is sold on the idea.

Downtown merchant Lyle Turner thinks the lights need to come down.

"Well, it's the same with any Christmas lights," he says. "If your neighbor keeps the christmas lights up all year, you'd think they were tacky. That's what I think about the lights downtown all year."

A spokesman from the city's maintenance and engineering department does not know just how much the lights will cost the city. The lights are currently on both day and night, but the city plans to put them on a timer system to save a little energy.