After weeks of uncertainty and mounting public pressure, the Lompoc City Council voted unanimously this week to restore full funding to the Lompoc Valley Chamber of Commerce, a move that could help stabilize the 116-year-old institution.
The vote took place at Tuesday night’s city council meeting, where residents, business owners, and city officials weighed in on the Chamber’s role in the community, transparency concerns, and the future of downtown events.
At the heart of the controversy was the city’s decision earlier this month to reduce the Chamber’s funding request of $108,000 to $35,000, with an additional $25,000 in in-kind services like street closures.
Shortly after, the chamber announced that due to the cuts, its signature event — the Old Town Market — would be canceled this year. That announcement sparked immediate and vocal backlash.
“You didn’t just slash spending,” said one local resident at Tuesday's meeting. “You severed a relationship. You don’t build community by cutting off the people who built it. You don’t replace trust, relationships, and legacy with city staff and a budget line item.”
Several residents criticized what they viewed as the city’s history of mismanaging events, drawing comparisons to declining attendance at city-run activities like Food Truck Fridays and Saturday markets.
“We lose more than just events if the Chamber shuts down,” said the resident. “We lose leadership programs, business advocacy, and the very fabric that ties this town together.”
Another speaker said bluntly, “When I go home and look in the mirror, I know I’m doing my part for this community. The question is, are you?”
Mayor Jim Mosby defended the city’s initial decision to reduce funding, citing difficult budget conditions and competing financial priorities, particularly upcoming negotiations with the Lompoc Police Officers Association.
“We were trying to decide between funding the Chamber or keeping a police officer on the force,” Mosby said. “It wasn’t personal, it was about balancing the budget and making sure public safety was prioritized.”
The mayor said the city had already set aside $35,000 in direct funding and $25,000 in services, but noted that through cost-saving measures, including delaying purchases and canceling a proposed $61,000 Tesla vehicle, the city was able to locate enough funds to potentially fulfill the Chamber’s full request.
Still, Mosby emphasized that the money would not be released until the Chamber fulfilled a contractual requirement: submitting its past two years of financial and audit reports.
“We’re still missing financials from 2022 and 2023,” he said. “It’s public money, and we need to see where it’s going. Right now, they may be in breach of contract.”
He also raised concerns about the Chamber’s transparency, stating that despite attempts to contact staff and multiple visits to the building, he had not been able to speak directly with its leadership.
“I’ve stopped by their office five times in the past couple of months. The door’s always locked,” Mosby said. “I tried calling. I haven’t gotten a response.”
In a statement to KSBY, DeVika Stalling, President and CEO of the Chamber, expressed gratitude to the public and confirmed the organization is still in active discussions with the city.
“At this time, our contract with the City of Lompoc is still under negotiation,” Stalling said. “Until we have the opportunity to meet with City leadership and finalize a mutually agreed upon contract, I will not be making any formal remarks regarding the Chamber’s funding or future.”
She added, “I am truly overwhelmed with gratitude by the incredible number of supporters who showed up at last night’s City Council meeting. It was a powerful and heartfelt display of what community is all about.”
The Chamber also posted to social media that it would pause operations from June 23 to July 6 as it works through this “pivotal time.”
District 4 Councilmember Jeremy Ball was one of the most vocal supporters of restoring Chamber funding. He originally cast the sole “no” vote against cutting funds during the June 3 budget hearing and said he wasn’t feeling hopeful coming into the most recent meeting.
But after hearing from more than a dozen community members and seeing a full council chamber, Ball said he was encouraged by the shift.
“The council heard the community,” he said. “And I have to commend the mayor. He stepped up at the last minute and said, ‘Let’s figure out a way to get them their funding.’ The council heard the community and I think it’s okay to update once in a while, it’s okay to listen and figure out what’s important to the community.”
Ball added, “I’d like to think of the City of Lompoc as having the heart, but the Chamber is the soul. They do what the city can’t. They support small nonprofits, they lead military events, they show up when businesses are struggling.”
He acknowledged that there are valid concerns around financial accountability but urged his colleagues not to rush to judgment.
“If we need to do an audit, let’s do it,” Ball said. “If there’s an issue, let’s address that but let’s not suggest that there’s something nefarious going on.”
The debate over funding also raised questions about the Chamber’s physical presence downtown. Mayor Mosby questioned why the building is often closed during the day.
But Catarina Agate, who owns Mama’s Café directly across the street, said the problem isn’t the Chamber, it’s the lack of support they’ve been given to operate effectively.
“The Chamber is the heart of business. I would even volunteer once a week to open that door,” she said. “It’s the first place visitors should go, and it needs to be open.”
She added that pre-COVID, the Chamber was more active and accessible, and she hopes to see it return to that form, especially with the community so eager to help.
With the 5–0 vote, the City Council signaled clear support for restoring full Chamber funding. However, the release of those funds remains at a standstill until financial documentation is received and reviewed, as required by the city’s contract with the Chamber.
