Junction City Mayor Mick McCallister is pointing to accomplishments by the consolidated Chamber of Commerce during the past five years.

He responded to a critical letter released by county officials that stated the near five year results of consolidation have yielded too much indecision and inconsistency that has not generated the type of job creation, revenue and sales tax enhancement worthy of the County’s nearly two million dollars of public funds expended.

The Mayor said, “I believe it’s too soon to give up. We’ve had a lot of turnover, we’ve had a lot of turmoil, but there has been an enormous amount of EDC progress in this community, personally,  over the last three years that I know. I would like for the Chamber to sit down and give us a list, give the media list, what has occurred during those five years.”

McCallister cited CVS Pharmacy, the Walmart Neighborhood Market, and the ACT Call Center that all located in Junction City.

County Commissioners Florence Whitebread and Larry Hicks in a letter have been supportive for redirecting County funds away from the Chamber administration back to individual agencies. Those could include the EDC, CVB, and Military Affairs Council.

McCallister said right now he is a little disappointed in the County Commission. “Specifically we’ve been discussing these options and what should we do. They have brought up we need to change something, and we have offered on many occasions, let’s sit down, talk about it,  come to a compromise, come to a decision and move forward. Since December we have been talking about his, and then all of a sudden we don’t even have a Plan B.”

Prior to consolidation of the Chamber under one umbrella the EDC, CVB, and Military Affairs Council along with what is now the Chamber Activities Division operated seperately.

One member of the Geary County Commission, Ben Bennett, has made it clear that he is a supporter of the consolidated Chamber operation.