Rempp Questions Chamber of Commerce Travel as City Clarifies Visit Salina Funding

Salina city commissioners briefly discussed the Chamber of Commerce during a budget-related meeting, with one commissioner raising questions about whether city funding could indirectly support Chamber travel.

Commissioner Doug Rempp said he wanted to mention the Chamber, noting that although he had never participated in one of the trips, the organization conducts “pretty elaborate trips” on an annual basis. Rempp said he assumed at least one or two Chamber representatives may take part in those trips and questioned whether city funding could, in some way, help subsidize that activity.

City staff responded that the city’s funding is intended for Visit Salina, which is the tourism-related portion of the Chamber’s work, not general Chamber operations or unrelated Chamber activities.

Staff said the agreement with the Chamber was reworked last year to look more closely at overhead and how city dollars are structured. According to the discussion, city funds are supposed to go toward Visit Salina, while a portion may also support shared overhead expenses for staff functions such as accounting or finance that serve the larger organization.

Staff said those costs are split out in the agreement and that the intent is for city funds not to be used for Chamber trips or other functions that do not relate to Visit Salina.

The discussion did not include an allegation that city funds had paid for Chamber travel. Instead, the exchange centered on how the funding arrangement is structured and whether taxpayer dollars are being clearly separated from broader Chamber activities.

Rempp also connected the Chamber discussion to a broader concern about city spending, saying some outside funding items can be viewed as “nice-to-dos,” even if the city has a reason for supporting them.

The comments came during a larger budget discussion as commissioners continue reviewing city expenses, property tax options, and funding priorities.