Vermilion council has declined a ,000 annual funding request from the Vermilion and District Chamber of Commerce, but members signalled they are still open to supporting the organization in other ways.

The request came in a formal letter to council, where the Chamber outlined its role in supporting local businesses and strengthening economic activity across Vermilion and the County of Vermilion River.

The Chamber told council it represents approximately 130 member businesses and has delivered a number of well-known community initiatives over the past year, including the Night Light Parade, electoral forums, its Christmas party and business-focused “Breakfast and Learn” sessions.

The organization also highlighted its marketing reach, noting it generated more than 13,000 content views and reached over 3,600 people through its communication channels in recent reporting periods.

In addition, the Chamber operates the Vermilion and District Local Gift Card Program, which encourages residents to shop locally. The program costs the Chamber about $2,400 annually to operate, with no commission collected on card sales.

In its request, the Chamber said municipal funding would help support ongoing programming and assist with launching a new summer community initiative, along with continued small-scale business events and educational opportunities.

Despite acknowledging that work, council ultimately decided not to approve the funding.

“I’m not sure if it’s up to us to fundamentally taxpayers dollars,” Mayor Robert Snow said during discussion.

Snow said the Chamber’s work clearly aligns with Vermilion’s broader economic development goals, but said direct operational funding did not feel appropriate.

“I do agree a monetary number doesn’t make sense,” he said. “But if we can look at if they have requests in future events and bring those requests forward… that might be something for council to consider.”

Snow also emphasized that council does not want to cut ties with the Chamber.

“I would hate to see us just say no to them period,” he said.

Administration also reminded council that the Town already provides several forms of support to the Chamber, including a free lease for the Visitor Information Centre and covering associated utility costs such as power, gas and water.

The Town also maintains a Chamber membership, collaborates on business retention and investment initiatives and supports local promotions through partnerships and incentives.

Several councillors echoed the mayor’s position, saying they support the Chamber’s role in the community but had concerns about using municipal tax dollars for general operating funding — particularly without a specific project tied to the request.

Instead, council indicated a preference for in-kind or event-based support, such as reduced facility fees, promotional assistance or other partnerships tied to specific initiatives.

Council voted to receive the request as information, effectively declining the funding.

The discussion leaves the door open for future collaboration, with council suggesting the Chamber bring forward event-specific requests or partnership opportunities for consideration moving forward.