McCall Chamber says winter carnival budget hit after LOT recommendation; council plans follow-up

Sheila Francis, a representative of the McCall Chamber of Commerce, told the City Council the chamber is renewing memberships and reported optimism about membership growth, but expressed concern that the chamber’s recommended lot (Local Option Tax) funding was significantly below what the chamber requested for winter carnival activities.

“$120,000 to put that on, and we do not make money. We lost more than $15,000 last year,” Francis said, describing major costs for the event and noting the chamber sought roughly 70% of the total costs in its request. Francis identified the parade’s traffic-control expenses as the single largest line item and said that, for safety reasons, the chamber was required to hire a professional traffic-control company rather than rely on volunteers.

Council members discussed options including asking the police chief whether the police department could provide more support, exploring the city’s general budget, and meeting with the chamber and the LOT commission. Councilors favored a follow-up discussion and asked staff to invite the chamber to a work session on July 17 — following an airport utilities item — or to include the chamber on the upcoming budget work sessions so the council can better understand the financial shortfall and timing of LOT disbursements.

Council members noted that some costs (for example, traffic-control staffing) are large relative to the chamber’s budget and that LOT awards are typically distributed after events, which can complicate cash flow for organizers. Staff suggested a later, larger workshop with the chamber to discuss the chamber’s full program portfolio and how city priorities and chamber activities align.

The council did not adopt new funding at the meeting but directed staff to invite the chamber to a follow-up discussion and to prepare a memo with additional context for the July 17 work session.