Jul. 21—CANTON — Canton Chamber of Commerce members will vote next week on whether to join a consolidated St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce.
"For several years, the Chambers of Commerce of Canton, Massena, Ogdensburg, and St. Lawrence County have been exploring the feasibility of merging to form an Integrated Chamber of Commerce to be known as the Greater St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce Partnership," chamber officials wrote in a letter to its membership. "We are excited to inform you that, after exploring the feasibility and benefits of such an Integration, the Canton Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors has resolved and is recommending a merger of the Canton and the St. Lawrence County Chambers of Commerce."
According to state law, the chamber must get at least 10% of its membership to vote and have a two-thirds majority to ratify the change.
There are several ways for a member to vote.
Votes may be submitted at an information session on July 24 at the VFW, 34 Gouverneur St., at 6:30 p.m. or during a membership vote meeting at the Grasse River Heritage offices, 30 Park St., next to Church & Community Program on July 25 at 6:30 p.m.
Members can complete and forward, by post or email, a proxy authorization that was emailed to members.
In its email to members, the chamber board included a list of benefits of the merger.
—Community-specific initiatives and community-dedicated staff;
—Gains on operational efficiencies, cost savings, and shared services;
—Increased capacity of staff for community-specific programming: (Staff focus on skills and community promotion vs. administration);
—Capacity for staff with specific skill sets (e.g., business development, workforce development, marketing, etc.) that can be applied to Canton and all county businesses;
—Consolidated budget and financials but with reserved allocations and accounts for community-specific initiatives;
—One regional identity and brand for St. Lawrence County while leading and highlighting community-specific events and initiatives;
—A regional board of directors with representation from each community and advisory boards / "Community Ambassadors" from each community;
—Streamlined programming & marketing;
—A central community calendar and cross-promotion of local events;
—Benefits for employees;
—"I Love NY" marketing support for all communities;
—Chamber members belonging to a county-wide organization with more membership benefits;
—More funding opportunities that benefit the economic vitality of St. Lawrence County