CANNON BEACH - The Cannon Beach Chamber of Commerce is in critical financial condition, with enough money only to pay the next round of bills and cover the next payroll.
"Then we'll have enough left over for the next two or three weeks, and that's it," said the chamber's accountant, Buzz Johnson.
Nearly 80 business owners who gathered in a town hall meeting Tuesday listened to Johnson compare the chamber's worrisome financial situation to the last scene of the movie "Thelma and Louise." In the movie, the two women drove over a cliff.
The news only added to the frustration expressed by those attending the session, which was hurriedly organized by the chamber board last week after several business owners complained about the chamber's lack of services during the board's regular monthly meeting.
In a frank and open discussion Tuesday, the business owners said changes were needed at the chamber, from the way it was managed to the ownership of the chamber's building.
Board member Carol Hungerford said the chamber's financial problems were caused in part because membership dues are down, as well as support for special projects.
"My sense is that we're not doing the job. Why would you join the chamber if it's not doing anything for you? Of course our membership dues are down," Hungerford said. "So in an effort to correct the situation, we want to know what you want us to do."
Much of the problem was created by a growing gap between the membership and the board, said Johnson, a former board member himself.
Read full story [The Daily Astorian]
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