Oakley Chamber of Commerce Falls Victim to Pandemic Funding Falloff
OAKLEY (KPIX) -- In the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic, Oakley business owners will be missing an important partner after the city's chamber of commerce shut down on May 1.
"Just makes me want to cry, it's as sad as it gets," said Mark Whitlock Sr., a former president and current board member of the chamber.
Whitlock said the Oakley Chamber of Commerce struggled financially even before the pandemic. The virus knocked out any chance of survival.
"It was the final nail in the coffin -- COVID-19 just buried us," Whitlock said.
The chamber relied on its annual Wine and Whiskey Soiree fundraiser event to cover its operating costs every year but the June event was canceled. With membership dropping in recent years -- down to about 60 business members -- the non-profit organization ran out of money, according to chamber president Michael Miller.
Before it closed on Friday, Miller said they were already running on a skeleton budget, opening for only three hours on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Board member Whitlock said the closure will have a big impact on the community's small businesses.
"Losing that touch ... someone having a voice for the business community that is now gone," Whitlock said.
Oakley vice mayor Sue Higgins said it's a big loss for the city of about 42,000 in east Contra Costa County.
"It's a way to get to know what's going on with our businesses. That whole marketing -- it's going to be a big void," Higgins said.
Aside from being an asset for businesses, city leaders said the chamber was instrumental in promoting civic pride and engagement.
"It was that networking and camaraderie that, you know, we're going to need and, hopefully, we can pick back up even as a city," Higgins said.
The chamber board members and city leaders hope that, once the economy bounces back, they can revive the chamber someday.
