County pulls funds from area chamber

Commissioners divert funds from Sandy visitors center

By Jim Hart

The Sandy Post, Dec 29, 2009 (1 Reader comment)

Hollis MacLean-Wenzel

/ Sandy Post

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Assistance for visitors and the promotion of local venues and businesses almost came to a standstill recently.

The Sandy Area Chamber of Commerce faced the loss of 15 percent of its budget — dollars that promote local tourism and support the local economy.

To promote tourism, the chamber has been on the receiving end of $10,000 from the city of Sandy each year (room tax from the city’s only hotel) as well as $15,000 from the Clackamas County Tourism Development Council (also from room taxes).

That $25,000 (25 percent of the chamber’s budget) paid for most of the activities of the visitors center, located in the chamber’s office in Sandy.

Recently, however, Chamber President and CEO Hollis MacLean-Wenzel was told she would not be getting the county’s six-month contribution of $7,500 for the last half of 2009, and she also was told she would not get any county funding in the future.

Instead, she was told, the county would distribute Sandy’s former tourism dollars to several places in Zigzag and Government Camp, including a private, for-profit business, which MacLean-Wenzel says does not meet federal handicap-access guidelines.

This information was made public when MacLean-Wenzel asked the Sandy City Council for increased funding to support at least some semblance of a visitors center.

In the staff report from City Manager Scott Lazenby, councilors were informed the county collects more than $2 million each year from its 6 percent room tax.

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