Fresh discussion regarding the budget for the Holbrook Chamber of Commerce arose during a Holbrook City Council meeting Tuesday night, with the council ultimately deciding to offer the chamber a set portion of lodger’s tax revenue and allow the chamber to determine whether they can host all planned events with that amount.

Following a review of department budgets for sanitation and wastewater, Chamber President Yvonne Larson asked the council to reconsider the proposed budget for the chamber. She noted that under the current proposal the organization’s budget was being cut by $9,000, however, through discussions with City Manager Ray Alley, potential changes were identified to reduce the cuts to $6,500. She noted that she hoped, however, that additional funds could be shifted to avoid any cuts.

“I’d like the council to consider maintaining the same budget or increasing it enough for a full-time employee,” she said. “We hope to not go backwards.”

The two shifts to reduce the cuts include moving $1,500 from the city to the chamber for the production of a community guide as well as eliminating $2,000 for an additional vinyl billboard cover from the city’s budget and offering those funds to the chamber. Alley noted that he did not believe it mattered who produced the community guide as long as it is completed, and that with council’s approval the extra billboard advertisement could be delayed until next fiscal year.

Alley told the council that the division and expenditure of lodger’s tax funds was a policy decision to be made by council members and that the budget proposals made by staff were only a starting point and should be guided and ultimately decided upon by the council.

“This is your policy decision. You tell me what to give them,” he said.

Referring to a proposed cut to the chamber’s budget for Wild West Days, Larson noted that the option to allow the city to take over administration of the event could give the chamber more time to focus on other opportunities and may be in the best interest of both the chamber and the city.

“I’m not speaking on behalf of the chamber, but if the city thinks they can put it on for $3,000 less than we can then maybe that is the best thing to do,” Larson said.

Alley noted that shifting the event to the city would reduce the chamber’s budget by an additional $7,000 and would eliminate revenue the organization receives from the event. Following a lengthy discussion regarding the cost of Wild West Days as well as the summer cultural dances, Larson agreed to discuss various options with the chamber board, including the possibility of turning Wild West Days over to the city’s event coordinator.

Larson departed the meeting to assist with the cultural dances and council members decided against holding a special meeting to reconsider the issue. Councilman CJ Wischmann noted that he felt creating controversy and haggling over $3,000 within a multi-million dollar budget was unneccessary. Councilman Richard Peterson told the council that he believed the council should move forward with the budget as proposed, including the shift of an additional $3,500 from the city’s community events budget to the chamber.

“I don’t see that it needs to be complicated. This is the money available and they need to decide what they can do with it. If they come back and say they can’t do it (Wild West Days), then we can do it,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be complicated to tell them what they’re going to get.”

Council members Wischmann and Francie Payne agreed.

“You make a budget and then you live within it,” Wischmann said. “Let’s move $2,000 from the billboard and $1,500 from the community guide into their budget and then let them decide.”

Events Coordinator Kathleen Smith told the council that, if necessary, she is prepared to take on Wild West Days and plans to cut costs by changing the barbeque competition from a professional event to an amateur one. According to Smith, the cost of bringing the professional competition to Holbrook is $10,000 to $15,000 and there is no way to accurately measure whether it is attracting enough additional visitors to justify the high cost.

Council members did not take a formal vote on the budget proposal, but asked Alley to proceed with plans to place it on the agenda at the next meeting for tentative adoption. Alley noted that once the tentative budget is adopted the budget can be decreased and line items may be changed, but total expenditures cannot be increased.

In other action June 9, the council:

* Approved the purchase of a jaws of life device for the fire department through a state purchasing contract.

* Approved scheduling a free eye screening event offered by the Overgaard Lions Club for city employees and their families, and asked city staff to coordinate one or more similar events for Holbrook residents.

* Approved an agreement with the Arizona Department of Revenue for the collection of sales tax.

* Approved an expenditure of $5,892 to Rim Country Mechanical for an HVAC unit for the historic county courthouse.

* Approved the expenditure of $600 to amend an agreement with Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway that will allow the city to host certain events inside the historic train depot.

* Approved a lease agreement with Wings of Faith Ministry for property at the Holbrook airport. The ministry will construct a small hangar at the airport, then deed it to the city and lease it back at no cost.

* Approved the expenditure of up to $5,352.49 for the purchase of benches, grills and picnic tables for the new splash park located behind city hall.

* Requested additional information regarding a proposal by Aaron Colon to purchase 40 feet of abandoned roadway currently owned by the city. Alley explained that the roadway was never actually built, dead-ends at the levee and is of no use to the city. The council requested additional information regarding utility easements and potential long-term ramifications.

* Approved an agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the use of a small building located at the airport that houses electronic equipment at no cost to the FAA.

The next regular council meeting is set for 6 p.m. on Tuesday, June 23, at city hall.