COLDWATER, MI (WTB) -The Downtown Development Authority board approved an annual $10,000 funding request from the Coldwater Area Chamber of Commerce Wednesday morning.
The normally routine request was put on hold a couple of months ago in order to allow the Chamber board time to review matters after accusations were made by Dan Corwin during his campaign for a seat on the Coldwater City Council.
Corwin said the Chamber denied him booth space during Applefest, while booths were allowed for the Republican and Democratic Parties, as well as for the Coldwater Community School District in their efforts to get voter approval of a millage and bond proposal.
Corwin said in a Facebook posting that it was a clear violation of constitutional rights by the Chamber, the DDA and the City of Coldwater. He later posted a comment on the Chamber’s Facebook page in which he blasted the Chamber for waging war on non-members and those they don’t like adding they discriminate in events based on politics.
Chamber Director Nichole Steele issued a prepared statement which said “our board has determined that the events in question are extremely important to our community and that they constitute a tradition that should be continued and grown.” She added, “while policies are always open to review and/or criticism, we hope that open communication, face-to-face discussion and give-and-take can help us make these events even more popular and more enjoyable while minimizing the antagonism that comes from social media posts and veiled threats.”
The DDA has provided funding to the Chamber for the past three years. The money has been used by the Chamber to offset the cost of running downtown events.
