VON ORMY, Texas -- Hours before 2009 rang in across South Texas, the mayor of this newly incorporated town defied county leaders' decree banning the sale and use of fireworks by allowing one company to peddle its wares, and said his residents were responsible despite the dry conditions.

Mayor Art Martinez DeVara said he did not feel there was a need for the ban enacted by Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff to affect his city, especially since neighboring Atascosa County -- three miles away -- was the only county in the region allowing the sale of fireworks.

"Once the public safety issue wasn't validated, it came down to a decision of do we shut down one of the commercial establishments in our city," Martinez DeVara said. "We're a new city and have very few establishments, and we felt the ban wasn't merited."

Mr. W Fireworks, which owns the fireworks shop in Von Ormy, contacted county officials and found out they could open their store in an incorporated area. Von Ormy is located in far southwest Bexar County along Interstate 35.

"I'm confident we did everything by the book," company vice president Kelley Wildman said. "We were already licensed, we were already approved to open, and all the customers who were there were really excited."

Martinez DeVara said city officials will continue to monitor the drought situation on a case-by-case basis in the future, including the Independence Day celebration.