Despite some recent struggles, things are looking more positive on the financial front for the Battlefords Chamber of Commerce.
They held their annual meeting Tuesday at which time financial statements for 2016 were presented.
The organization has made headway in balancing the books on the operations side. They had been operating at a loss of $27,023 in 2015, but in 2016 the loss was only $8,493. The net deficit for 2016 came in at $13,146.
Overall, however, revenues were up almost $13,000 in 2016, and the Chamber has outlined a plan that would see them run at a surplus for 2017.
Their 2017 budget was approved at the meeting based on what was described as conservative revenue estimates for the year. Some cost-reduction measures are also being taken by the Chamber, which includes the reduction of one staff position.
A $12,000 budget surplus is projected for 2017.
“I’m very pleased to see that we’re on this upward swing with our financials,” said Jay Bottomley, who was Chamber president during 2016.
He pointed to some huge hits the Chamber had taken in recent years from the loss of revenues from the tourism information centre and the immigration resource centre.
In general, Bottomley was optimistic that the Chamber was turning things around.
“I only see positive things for this year. The trend that we’re looking at in the financials shows that.”
In his remarks, new Chamber president Warren Williams pointed to progress in another area: what he saw as a more constructive relationship with the newly-elected municipal government.
He noted that during the budget process at City Hall, the Chamber met the mayor and senior administration prior to the budget being presented, sat through the deliberations and then met with the mayor, senior administration and councillors afterwards.
Williams welcomed what he saw as a change in tone by city officials in that the Chamber’s views were “not viewed as criticism, but as constructive views and issues,” he said.
The Chamber president also welcomed the opportunity to engage with the Town of Battleford in their upcoming budget process.
One other item of business was the appointment of Gerald Pohl, CPA accountant with Cogent Chartered Accountants, as member at large on the executive committee.
