Lompoc Valley Chamber of Commerce declares to close June 30

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The Lompoc Valley Chamber of Commerce will close June 30, according to a June 10 Facebook post from the chamber, which blamed the City Council’s decision to “abruptly and drastically cut funding.”

“This is more than a budget cut. It’s the potential loss of a vital community pillar,” chamber President/CEO DeVika Stalling wrote. “We are calling on YOU … to show up and speak out.”

At its June 3 meeting, the Lompoc City Council voted 4-1 to decrease the city’s annual contribution to the chamber by about 30 percent. Councilmembers Victor Vega, Dirk Starbuck, and Steve Bridge and Mayor Jim Mosby supported the move while Councilmember Jeremy Ball didn’t. 

“I’m not an advocate of the chamber going away. Chambers fund themselves in lots of cities,” Bridge said at the June 3 meeting. “I am an advocate of protecting funds so we can pay the police, and that’s kind of where we’re at. … I’m not trying to be a jerk here.”

The Lompoc Valley Chamber of Commerce didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Mayor Jim Mosby told the Sun that he’s tried to reach out to the chamber but hasn’t heard back. He said members of the chamber walked right by him with their heads down outside his office when they came in to see the city manager. 

“That was weird,” Mosby said. “I’ve been by the chamber five times in the last couple months. There’s nobody there. I’ve been the mayor for over six months now. They haven’t reached out to me once. I’m not sure what’s going on.”

Mosby said he has concerns with how the chamber is spending “the people’s money.”

“In their contract, they’re supposed to have an annual audit every first and third year and a financial document on the even years,” Mosby said. “The last audit I have is from 2022. I have no ’23 or ’24 numbers. I don’t know if we can legally give them money until they have these financial statements.”

The chamber generated $265,000 in revenue and spent $381,000 on expenses in the 2022-23 fiscal year, according to ProPublica’s NonProfit Explorer. The chamber’s 990 form for that year—the most recent available—lists $100,020 in administrative and management expenses. 

“What were those?” Mosby asked. 

The chamber had $146,270 in non-interest-bearing cash in June 2023, according to that 990. Mosby wondered what happened to that money and why the chamber can’t use it to make up for the funding cut. 

“I’m not trying to be a jerk. I’m just trying to dig into it,” Mosby said. “The council is still finalizing negotiations with the police officer association. We only have $300,000 to $400,000 to give the whole department raises. So, we sit there and weigh this out. We know we lose officers because they say we don’t pay them enough. Do we want to lose police officers, or do we want to support the chamber? I was hoping everybody would work together, but they just want to throw in the towel, and now they’re starting to bash us online, calling us the ‘Good Ol’ Boys.’ I don’t get it. That’s the way they want to do it? That’s not how you’re supposed to operate and get along—calling people names.”

Not everyone sees it the same way as Mosby. Councilmember Ball said that suggesting the chamber should fund itself is “ridiculous.”

“The balance of businesses being able to step up and pay enough to provide for the chamber just doesn’t work the same way here,” Ball said. “That doesn’t mean we get rid of it, because they can’t fully fund themselves.”

Unlike many cities who have to “put their future on a credit card,” Lompoc is operating with a balanced budget, Ball said. He said any narrative that the city can’t afford to contribute to the chamber is “just B.S.”

“It wasn’t that long ago that we were going through the pandemic and Lompoc was sitting in negative when it came to reserves,” Ball said. “Now, we have $8 million in reserves. Anyone saying that we’re unhealthy financially is just wrong. We do have the funds. We do have the discretion to do the right thing, period.”

Ball disputed those who question the chamber’s absence.

“Their board showed up the last time we had this meeting, and they were not asked to talk to City Council. They were literally shut up. One person made open comments, and that was it,” Ball said. “If I was in the chamber’s shoes, I would be hesitant to just give a soundbite here and there. They want everything to be public and transparent.”

He said he fears the message that not having a chamber of commerce will send to visitors.

“It doesn’t say, ‘Lompoc is open for business.’ It says the opposite,” Ball said. 

The chamber posted updates on Facebook urging community members to voice their support at the June 17 council meeting, which took place after the Sun went to press.

“The Lompoc Valley Chamber has become a cornerstone of the city, not only producing some of Lompoc’s most successful and inclusive community engagement events, but [also] serving as a vital bridge between local government, residents, and businesses,” chamber board president Chuck Madson said at the June 3 meeting. “My dedication to the chamber comes from witnessing firsthand something no other nonprofit in this area can replicate: the chamber’s unique ability to bring the community together.”

This article appears in Jun 19-29, 2025.