Council won’t purchase table at Chamber AGM

By Douglas Glynn Midland Free Press February 15 2011

Council members won’t be dining at taxpayers’ expense at the Southern Georgian Bay Chamber of Commerce annual general meeting.

Council voted 5 to 3 at a special meeting Monday to end the practice of sponsoring a table at a cost of $450 for nine people to attend the event.

The special meeting allowed council to vote on the matter before the Feb. 22 chamber meeting, as council’s regular February meeting is not scheduled until a day later on Feb. 23.

Coun. Jack Charlebois said he was uncomfortable with the procedure by which the matter had come before council, because there had been an email from the mayor saying the sponsorship of a table would be cancelled.

He reminded council that Coun. Bob Jeffery had requested a special council meeting to discuss the matter. (Jeffery had argued earlier at general committee that the decision could not be made by the committee, but required a council meeting.)

Jeffery told the special council meeting that he was in favour of continuing the sponsorship because “we have to show the chamber we are supporting them. It’s important,” he continued, “to send a message to businesses that we are supporting them.”

He said council should purchase the table this year and decide later on whether it wants to discontinue its support. By dropping its support, he contended, “you’re sending a clear message that the $40,000-plus may not be coming,” he added.

Coun. Zena Pendlebury agreed that council should support the event this year. “The way we are doing it is not fair to them. The optics are not good!”

Deputy Mayor Stephan Kramp countered that council supports the chamber fully by providing the $40,000-plus.

“We don’t do it for other organizations. We have a one-third tax free allowance. That’s what it’s for. I’ll buy my own ticket.

Mayor McKay, council’s representative on the chamber, had raised the issue of whether the town should sponsor a table during his report to general committee.

In his report, McKay said the four area mayors who sit on the chamber board have discussed returning the chamber to the private sector. He said one proposal would see them reduce their involvement by having each mayor serve just one year on a rotating basis.

He said Midland contributes more than $40,000 a year to the chamber, which promotes tourism. Other municipalities that support the chamber include Penetanguishene, Tay and Tiny Townships.

McKay questioned how much the town should provide for tourism and said he will be seeking direction from council, adding he doesn’t want to pull the rug from under the chamber.

Council supported a suggestion that the Chamber be invited to a special meeting to discuss its role.