UPDATE:
Financial concerns are a key part of the reason behind a Geary County decision to issue a notice of withdrawal from the consolidated Chamber of Commerce master agreement.
The Geary County Commission has sent a letter to city and chamber of commerce officials ahead of a July 1st deadline. This does leave time for discussion and negotiation because a withdrawal would not become effective December 1st.
Commissioner Keith Ascher said when he campaigned for office the concept of consolidation was fine, but from a closer viewpoint there are now some issues. The biggest one is financial. He discussed the declining transient guest tax revenues which are paid by users of hotel lodging facilities. “In an email last Friday that I received, we all received, we got some disturbing news that they were down again which should have been an up month. That timeliness prompted us to have some serious discussion on what to do. That’s what led to our motion and vote.”
Ascher added several factors play into the decreased numbers and one of them is more competition in the outlying areas.
Ascher noted there needs to be a better job of focusing on the marketing and promotion of tourism, conventions and the outdoors. He said the County is strapped to have the money because the transient guest tax numbers are down, county contributions to the Chamber to participate in the consolidation are steadily increasing so they’re “being squeezed on both ends.”
If there were concerns the County was required to submit a letter by July 1st. Ascher explained it buys tome time for discussion and they’re willing to have meetings with Chamber officials to see what can be found. The final date for any action to withdrawal from the consolidated agreement would be December 31st.
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Geary County has issued notice to withdraw from the master agreement for the consolidated Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce.
The Geary County Commission, through a letter drafted by their legal counsel, gave notice on Tuesday to Chamber and Junction City officials of their intention to withdraw from the agreement on December 31st. The notice was given prior to a requirement that the notice must be given on or before July 1st.
JCPost.com talked with Chamber Board President Stan Hambright and Mayor Phyllis Fitzgerald Tuesday night to see if they know why the County wants to withdraw. They do not, but Fitzgerald is taking a wait and see attitude. “Well the only thing that I know is like we stated earlier, we got that letter hand delivered to us today and we’re just going to have to see what the County does as far as their negotiations back with the Chamber, and we’re just going to have to wait and see how that’s going to turn out.”
Fitzgerald announced during a Tuesday evening City Commission budget session that the letter had been received, and read it publicly during the meeting.
JCPost.com was able to contact Geary County Commission Chairman Ben Bennett at his residence. He chose not to comment on the reason for the desire to withdrawal, but said that he did not vote for it. Other members of the county commission, Keith Ascher and Charles Stimatze, have not yet been contacted.
In 2016 the county commission which then consisted of Bennett and two now former members, Florence Whitebread and Larry Hicks, expressed a desire for the county to withdraw from the master agreement with Whitebread and Hicks wanting discussion. At that time Bennett strongly supported maintaining a consolidated chamber. There were discussions and negotiations, and eventually the county voted to approve the master agreement.
Four agencies are under the consolidated chamber umbrella including the Membership Enhancement Division, the Military Affairs Council, the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau and the Economic Development Commission.