Audited financial statements contradict claim made by Charlie Wilson and reported without question or challenge by the island weekly
Editor’s Note: As a member of the Indian River County Chamber of Commerce, Inside Vero received the following letter this morning from Chamber Chairman Catherine McKenzie. McKenzie’s letter, directed to Chamber members, addresses recent press reporting inaccurately portraying Chamber funding.
To Our Members:
Our message to you today is to clarify any recent inaccuracies and insinuations.
We represent nearly 900 businesses and thousands of employees. Our award-winning organization has been built on the strengths of our professional staff, volunteers, and our ability to bring people and ideas to the table. The Chamber’s reputation working with other organizations and government to develop coalitions, build consensus and instill cooperation is outstanding. Our focus since1922 has been to create a strong local economy, promote quality of life for our community, provide opportunities for our members and represent business through action.
It has been made to appear in local media that Chamber salaries and overhead have been funded by government or tax dollars. The truth is that our building was paid for from the generous contributions made to our capital campaign and, like any organization, our Chamber membership dues pay administrative costs.
Our Chamber has a partnership with Indian River County to administer visitor marketing, and economic development services. We are recognized by Enterprise Florida and Visit Florida as the designated organization to promote tourism and economic development. Our economic development and tourism divisions have a great track record and stand on their reputation.
Visitors are up as measured by the collected bed taxes, numbers increased 8.5% 2013 over 2012 with summer months showing some of the highest increases of all at an average increase of 18%. Our economic development office has recently facilitated several announced projects totaling 79 anticipated new jobs and is working with a dozen prospective clients.
Visitor funds come from a bed tax levied by the County paid each time someone pays for a hotel room, rents a campsite or any rental of 6-months or less. Of the bed tax funds allocated by the county ($350,563), the Chamber’s Tourism Division spends over 72% directly on promotion of all areas of the county – including Vero Beach. Bed tax dollars pay the entire salary of the Tourism Director and part-time tourism support staff. No rent or utilities are paid for by any public funds to house this function. A request to be reimbursed for dollars spent is submitted to the county and, after county approval, the funds are reimbursed for approved expenditures.
Economic Development Division funds come from public and private sectors. Our Economic Leadership Alliance investors contribute private dollars exclusively to economic development efforts. The county general fund also pays toward economic development efforts at $139,898 in this current year of which 45% is paid in salary to our Certified Economic Developer. The County approves all expenses and provides reimbursement for funds spent. Part-time support staff is paid through private dollars. No rent or utilities are paid for by any public funds to house this function.
Funds for economic development and tourism are maintained in separate bank accounts, have separate budgets, and separate audits (all public documents) with oversight from the County’s Budget Office and County Commissioners. The Chamber has its own budget, bank accounts separate from economic development and tourism, and the Chamber has its own separate audit.
Our organization is governed by one of the finest Board of Directors in the region and they provide excellent oversight to our operations. Those who have served on our Board of Directors and who have chaired the Board are and have been outstanding leaders of this community since 1922.
We work hard to support our members and the community. We assure our members that we will continue to provide the high quality programs and services that have come to be expected from our Chamber.
Sincerely,
Catherine McKenzie
Chairman of the Board
Indian River Guardian 
Last week, Gov. Rick Scott proposed spending an additional $100 million on tourism marketing. In comparison, Visit Florida, the official tourism development agency of the state, has $63.5 million to spend in the last state budget.
In addition to greatly increasing the budget for Visit Florida, some of the additional money Gov. Scott is proposing to spend on tourism marketing would reportedly filter town to a more local level. “Gov. Scott’s increased funding for Visit Florida will mean that they will be able to provide us with more opportunities to reach our target markets in ways that we would not be able to do on our own,” Virginia Haley, president of Visit Sarasota County, said in a statement.
Ever the opportunity, perhaps Charlie Wilson is hoping his new faux chamber will wind up with some of this new state money.
Another foul ball hit by Charlie Wilson. Some people will say or do anything ;Wilson is one of the worst offenders.
Maybe we can give the chamber a portion of the $150,000,000 that Glen Heran said in 2009 the city would receive from the sale of the electric company. According to the rep from FPL at the last council meeting that check should be coming in a couple of months.
This FP&L deal looks like it is on life support. Looks like it could die due to poor planning . Two things are needed: the truth, which we never got ,and new leadership. If this deal does happen it will eventually cripple the city financially. All this so Pilar Turner does not have to look at Vero Electric from her backyard.