LET’S GET OUR FACTS STRAIGHT TO BEGIN WITH IF WE ARE GOING TO CAST STONES ON OUR CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Dear Editor, As a concerned citizen of Fairfield, Texas I have always been able to accept that some people and I just do not agree and we all should have a right to those different opinions. What troubles me the most is when those differences of opinion are not based upon the truth and the real facts. At least one City Councilman and a couple of Fairfield residents seem to be the only voices that our people are hearing here lately. That is unfortunate. So I wanted to take a moment to give our people the correct facts for you to consider. In recent handouts one councilman seems to feel that the Chamber of Commerce is spending from $700,000.00 plus to $900,000.00 plus of our citizen’s money, and that they have been given this much by the City since 2013, if I am reading the dates correctly. (Note – the handouts are not consistent themselves on how much). From public records at City Hall the Chamber of Commerce and their offices have acted as the visitor and tourism center for the City of Fairfield under contract (written or verbal) since 1986 or 1987. Each year the City has distributed out to them a portion of Hotel/Motel Tax for that purpose based upon approved budgets each year, half of their operating overhead. This amount has generally cost the City around $45 to $50,000.00 per year to the Chamber. That totals around $300,000.00 for the 6 years involved. ($50,000.00 X 6) This is a far cry from the maximum of $900,000.00 implied by these handouts. The City also each year in September decides as a part of the budget process, based upon proposals from the Council, the Chamber and the Public, what events the City wants to have, such as Easter, The Fair, 4th of July, various tournaments, Fall Show of Wheels car show, Art Fests, Museum, Moody Bradly House events, Halloween, various concerts and of course Christmas that qualify for use of Hotel/Motel Funds. Once the City makes this decision regarding the City Sponsored events for the upcoming year, and passes their budget with these items budgeted for the next 12 months, the City asks the Chamber to furnish the volunteers and manpower to make these events a great success for our City and Community. And they have been a success, I have been there and have been a part of that core volunteer group. At the City’s direction, The Chamber sets up the events such as Easter, 4th of July, Show of Wheels, Halloween and Christmas and does help, when asked, with the other events listed as well, and except when an advance payment is required from vendors, they bring the bills for the vents to the City and the City pays the bills directly (not the Chamber). This money, for the most part, does not find its way into the Chambers Bank Accounts at all. It is handled by the City itself, and as such, it should not be considered a part of the moneys handled by the Chamber. The Chamber is, at best, the volunteers for no pay that actually work the events the City wished to hold and make them happen. The third part of this mentioned in the handouts, is the money the City asks the Chamber to spend and deliver for advertising to promote people coming to Fairfield. This may include things such as banners, advertising materials, bill boards, and sometimes even radio or the like. This is also not money the Chamber spent, but money the City of Fairfield asked them to spend and budgeted to spend. So information that the Chamber spending all this money is not factual. Now the City Council has just cancelled the City’s Contract with the Chamber, after being budgeted, and they (Chamber) as of yesterday are no longer the tourism and visitor center for the City of Fairfield. With this cancellation goes the core volunteer base for all these wonderful things for our Community, or at least most of them, and all the while talking about hiring someone with no volunteer base to draw upon to do this as a full time employee of the City. I wonder what that will cost us all and how they will make these events for our children and families happen without the volunteer groups the Chamber seems to always pull in to help? These are the correct facts, and I encourage you to talk to your City Council to express your concerns and feelings. It is sort of like what is going on in Washington D.C. today- Let’s destroy it, and then figure out what to replace it with if anything at all. Facebook comments are not controlled by the Chamber of Commerce. You will find no attacking comments to Councilmen or others on the Chamber page. I do not follow Facebook personally so I do not see the hurtful comments and certainly do not approve them. How sad that we have come to this point in our community. We need to pray hard that this small effort by such few unhappy people does not destroy our beautiful little City. Bettye Trask Fairfield, Texas