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Grant County Chamber of Commerce kicked off the latest round of yearly appropriations requests at the July 1 Grant County Commission meeting, with the same request for funds as it made a year ago. The county appropriates funds to different entities each year as it prepares to finalize its budget, and each entity asks for a certain amount, although that doesn’t mean it will receive that amount.
The Chamber requested $15,000 – the same amount it received a year ago.
“I just wanted to come and talk about the contribution you’ve made to the Chamber,” said Chamber Director Marieta Hauser. “Last Year was $15,000, which really was helpful and appreciated.”
Hauser has tried to keep dues at a level businesses can afford.
“When I think about the Chamber and think about the value we bring, there’s a lot of quality-of-life things,” Hauser said. “We have the Home Products Dinner, which is a quality-of-life event for the community, but it’s also a good way to promote the community and we’re known throughout the state and also some other states for that event.”
The Chamber also helps with Race Across America, which also puts an international spotlight on Ulysses.
“We have people from all over the world come through here and talk about what wonderful facilities we have, and things like that,” Hauser said while thanking the county commission for allowing the Chamber to utilize the Grant County Fire Station as the RAAM Time Station. “That makes it really nice for us to have a place to go indoors when it’s so beastly hot.”
Among other things the Chamber does is Spring Fling, the Ulysses Bucks program, Fall Fest, Parade of Lights, Legislative Coffees and other legislative things to help the community. Grant County Chamber works with Southwest Kansas Chambers, which is the regional chamber group.
The chamber also plays host to “Night Out in Topeka,” where they try to make connections with all the legislators, not just regional ones. They also put some time into the Alumni Reunion, which brings in bed tax money.
“I try to stay in touch with our businesses and make connections when I can,” Hauser said. “Legislatively, basically we’re here to support the community and I think we do a pretty good job of it.”
Hauser added she hopes the commission sees the value of the chamber.
The Chamber manages the electronic signs at Main and Oklahoma, which is a partnership between the City of Ulysses, USD 214, Pioneer Communications, and Pioneer Electric.
“For their donation to that cause, they get to advertise maximum amount, whatever they want,” Hauser said. “Some of them utilize it, some of them don’t. Sometimes they give it away to a charity who might not have the funds.
“We get 10 percent of the revenue that comes in.”
The commission did not make a decision on the request and will go over all of the requests as it considers the budget.
Retiring
Hauser will be retiring at the end of 2025, and while Robin Leonard is Hauser’s assistant and is interested in the position, the Board of Directors wants to open it up to all interested applicants.
“We’ve started the process, so the board felt like we needed to open it up, but I know Robin is interested in it, I think she’d do a good job, she knows the community well,” Hauser told the commissioners. “That’s not my decision to make, it will be the board’s.”
“I think you do a wonderful job, you’re going to be sorely missed,” said Commission Chairman John Martin.
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