Council renews contract with Greater Conejo Chamber despite concerns over chamber endorsements; vote 4-1

The Thousand Oaks City Council approved a consent-item contract renewal with the Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce by a 4-1 vote, after extended debate about the chamber’s endorsement of political candidates.

Councilmember David Newman opposed the renewal, arguing the chamber’s public endorsements make it inappropriate for the city to fund the organization with taxpayer dollars. Newman said the city’s longstanding practice is to avoid funding organizations engaged in partisan politics and that supporting the chamber while it endorses candidates risks eroding public trust.

Supporters on the council, including Councilmembers Adam and Mayor Pro Tem Taylor, said the chamber provides services and programs of demonstrable benefit to the city — for small-business support, downtown programs, pandemic-era outdoor-dining advocacy and a recent furniture donation to the navigation center — and that the city’s contract funds specific, nonpolitical services. Danielle Borgia, president and CEO of the chamber, described the chamber’s endorsement process as board-approved and said the chamber’s endorsement committee had chosen not to make endorsements in the most recent cycle. Borgia said the chamber is exploring other approaches and that a PAC could be considered in the future.

Councilmember Gutierrez and other council members urged the chamber to consider structural separation (for example, a separate PAC) so the city’s funding would clearly go only to nonpartisan service work. The motion to renew passed 4-1, with Newman voting no.