Local area Chambers of Commerce are again in the news. This time managing to make the front page of the Sunday edition of the NWA Democrat Gazette.Robert Smith's article credits Springdale resident Anita Davis for raising awareness last year when she accused the chamber leaders of misspending the city's tax dollars on lavish trips, dining and more.
The Democrat Gazette decided to question nearly forty other cities to compare how they spend money on economic development.
Perry Webb, president of the Springdale Chamber of Commerce admits he pats himself on the back for everything in the community because he really doesn't know what business, if any, the chamber actually brought to town.
Webb also defended the practice of awarding exotic trips in exchange for fundraising. Webb changed the chamber's accounting system in 2010 to avoid having their future spending habits become public knowledge under the Freedom of Information Act.
Attorney General Dustin McDaniel is quoted as saying it is unlawful under Arkansas Constitution Article 12, Section 5, for funds of a “county, city, town or other municipal corporation” to be given to a private, nonprofit entity. It bars public money from being donated to a chamber of commerce, McDaniel said.
If the Attorney General believes it is unlawful to give taxpayer money to the chamber then why do we continue to do so?
UPDATE: Apparently Webb called in all the favors he saved up at the newspaper for running those full page ads about the Chamber's trips to China. We have been ordered to remove the newspaper article that put them in the unfavorable light they deserved. It's okay. Most of the town has already read it and those who didn't, feel free to email me and I'll let you look at the copy we paid for. Or better yet, maybe we'll just start passing out copies in parking lots.
The Democrat Gazette decided to question nearly forty other cities to compare how they spend money on economic development.
Perry Webb, president of the Springdale Chamber of Commerce admits he pats himself on the back for everything in the community because he really doesn't know what business, if any, the chamber actually brought to town.
Webb also defended the practice of awarding exotic trips in exchange for fundraising. Webb changed the chamber's accounting system in 2010 to avoid having their future spending habits become public knowledge under the Freedom of Information Act.
Attorney General Dustin McDaniel is quoted as saying it is unlawful under Arkansas Constitution Article 12, Section 5, for funds of a “county, city, town or other municipal corporation” to be given to a private, nonprofit entity. It bars public money from being donated to a chamber of commerce, McDaniel said.
If the Attorney General believes it is unlawful to give taxpayer money to the chamber then why do we continue to do so?
UPDATE: Apparently Webb called in all the favors he saved up at the newspaper for running those full page ads about the Chamber's trips to China. We have been ordered to remove the newspaper article that put them in the unfavorable light they deserved. It's okay. Most of the town has already read it and those who didn't, feel free to email me and I'll let you look at the copy we paid for. Or better yet, maybe we'll just start passing out copies in parking lots.