County Funds Half Of Pensacola Chamber, Gives Century Chamber Nothing

July 2, 2009

Escambia County directly or indirectly provides over 50 percent of the $4.3 million in revenue for the Pensacola Bay Area Chamber and exactly nothing for the Century Chamber of Commerce.

Escambia County contracts with the Pensacola Chamber to provide economic development for the county. Commissioner Gene Valentino had pushed a plan that would have brought more economic development control back to the county, but Wednesday that plan failed to gain the approval of the Pensacola-Escambia Economic Development Commission. Instead, the PEDC endorsed a plan presented by the Pensacola Chamber to continue chamber and private economic development efforts. Read more here.

Through various funding sources, the Pensacola Chamber received  $2,342,136 in funding from Escambia County during their fiscal year that ended September 20, 2008. That was 54 percent of the Pensacola Chamber’s entire $4,337,642 gross receipts.

centurychamber10.jpgDuring the same year, the Century Chamber of Commerce received no money from Escambia County, according to Margie McCall, the chamber’s treasurer.

The county provides funding for the Pensacola Chamber, not the Century Chamber, because the Pensacola Chamber is the one contracted to do the county’s economic development, McCall said.

Escambia County did contribute funds several years ago to the Century Chamber. They first received $50,000 to purchase their current office location, then another $50,000 to renovate the building, and finally $50,000 for furnishings and to pave the parking lot.

After that, McCall said the county would have continued funding for the Century Chamber — with the restriction that the funds could not be used for marketing or economic development. Since the chamber is in the business of  marketing and economic development in Century, McCall said the Century Chamber did not apply for additional county funds.

That has left the Century Chamber with little funding. The chamber receives about $2,500 per year in membership fees from about 50 members. A few businesses provide a few thousand dollars per year in economic support for the chamber. Otherwise, the Century Chamber has little in the budget, McCall said.

‘We are reaching the point that we will have to do something,” she said. “We are strapped for funds. We may have to look at trying some kind of fund raiser in the future.”

As part of its economic development functions for the county, the Pensacola Chamber provides business prospects with information about available industrial sites in the county, including Century. For instance, the Pensacola Chamber web site highlights the Century Industrial Park and the availability of the old Alger-Sullivan Lumber Company building.

Comments

2 Responses to “County Funds Half Of Pensacola Chamber, Gives Century Chamber Nothing”

  1. Me too on July 2nd, 2009 8:23 pm

    Before I even read the previous comment, my first thought was “Is anybody really surprised?” Century is the longforgotten red headed step child. Escambia County couldn’t care less about it.

  2. S.L.B on July 2nd, 2009 10:36 am

    Is anyone really surprised by this?

    I’m not genius when it comes to politics, but it doesnt take a rocket scientist to figure out that apparently they are not wanting Century,Florida to promote the area and too prosper. It seems to me that Escambia County Florida Chamber of Commerce is looking forward to the day it’s voted for a new change of incorporating and merging Century in with Pensacola, so that Century will not have their own government and be self sufficient.

    Century,Florida appears to be moving backwards, not forward, which gives the commuinity residence alot of hope, now doesn’t it?

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News