Local News in Brief : Chamber Reverses Stand

The Lawndale Chamber of Commerce, in a last-ditch effort to win a $25,000 contract from the city, has reversed a previous decision and will give the City Council a copy of its $110,000 operating budget for the 1988-89 fiscal year.

Chamber officials argued last week that the business organization’s budget is none of the city’s business. They said the city should concern itself only with whether the chamber satisfactorily puts on the events called for in the contract it has held with the city for several years. Last year, those events were the Miss Lawndale Pageant, Santa’s Sleigh, Man and Woman of the Year Dinner and Youth Day Parade.

A three-member council majority--Harold E. Hofmann, Larry Rudolph and Dan McKenzie--refused to renew the contract unless the chamber provided detailed financial information. The majority also denied the chamber $45,000 it expected to receive from a 25% surcharge on business license fees.

Chamber critics, including members of a newly formed rival business organization, contend that the chamber has been lackadaisical in promoting Lawndale and that many members own businesses outside Lawndale.

Jerry Enis, chamber director, said the chamber held a special meeting Monday night and decided “in a spirit of cooperation” to provide budget information and ask the council at its Sept. 1 meeting to approve the contract.

As to the possibility that the chamber might sponsor a recall against the three councilmen, Enis said that idea was mentioned in the midst of last week’s emotional council meeting. Before the chamber considers drastic action against the three, Enis said, “we have to give them every opportunity to see the light.”