Lawndale : Funding for Chamber

The City Council will meet with officers of the Lawndale Chamber of Commerce before the council’s Sept. 15 meeting to discuss restoration of funding for the chamber.

The council, meanwhile, voted 3 to 2 to provide $15,000 for the chamber to stage the annual Miss Lawndale Pageant in October.

The council on Aug. 18 voted 3 to 2 to cut off its $58,600 subsidy--more than half of the chamber’s annual budget--after some longtime chamber members were on the losing end of a fight for leadership of the business group.

Chamber members have accused the council majority of punishing the chamber for keeping a friend off the board, but the council majority denies it.

Chamber members this week asked the council to reverse its decision, saying that without the subsidy the chamber will close.

Councilman Larry Rudolph, who asked for the meeting with the chamber officers, said some questions must be answered before he could change his vote. Rudolph and Councilmen Harold Hofmann and Dan McKenzie cast the votes to cut off the subsidy. Rudolph sided with Mayor Sarann Kruse and Councilman Terry Birdsall to provide funding for the Miss Lawndale Pageant.

After the meeting, Rudolph said he would probably vote to return at least part of the subsidy to the chamber.