By Dewey Terrill
JC Post
Economic Development Commission members learned Thursday that the Chamber of Commerce is trying to sort out the financial information for that organization. Right now there is quite a bit of turmoil.
Chamber Board Chair Ashley King noted that there is just the tip of the iceberg to decipher from 2021 to 2026. There were different things discovered as far as outside organization industrial memberships that they thought that the Chamber was a part of, but were not.
King pointed out that because money was moving around may have been a reason why other Chamber divisions were negative ( financially ). Funds were going to the EDC.
King noted that the Chamber does not have any files "on the ground" from 2021 forward and have requested that those documents be returned by former EDC Director Mickey Fornaro-Dean. So far she has not responded but there will be another attempt to request them this next week.
King expects it will be another month before the financial records are straightened out.
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There was disussion at the EDC session about a proposal to reduce the Chamber Board membership from 17 down to 7 members. No final action has occurred.
There ws a point that the city and county "can't keep bleeding money for zero results." The city and county help fund the EDC.