Wasilla chamber has some spring cleaning to do

Not long ago, the Frontiersman heard mumblings about the Greater Wasilla Chamber of Commerce being in financial problems and we were told it was a short-term problem that was being fixed and everything was fine.

It looks like that wasn’t true.

In fact, it’s beginning to look like the chamber’s financial problems have been a lingering question mark.

This latest incident saw five board directors — one a bank officer — resign because of their concern about how the organization was operating.

Now it’s a board of two: Chas St. George and Quentin Algood.

St. George told a Frontiersman reporter that the bylaws require him and Algood to appoint three directors to achieve a quorum of five. The board is supposed to have seven directors.

But here’s the rub: No matter who they appoint, there is too much political inbreeding to make their appointments pass the smell test. St. George helped Marty Metiva with his Wasilla mayoral campaign. Marty Metiva is married to Cheryl Metiva, executive director of the chamber.

What needs to happen is for every chamber member to show up at the meeting scheduled for Tuesday and demand an immediate election that will seat an interim board of directors to run the chamber until an independent, expedited audit is completed.

The first order of business for the new board should be to suspend Executive Director Cheryl Metiva without pay. If she is found to have done nothing wrong, then the pay she lost during the suspension should be given to her. If wrongdoing is found, criminal charges should be filed.

After that, another election should be set to seat permanent directors.

Until that happens, how can the business community in Wasilla and beyond trust the chamber unless there is a full airing of what is taking place regarding the operations at the chamber? How can those people trust the chamber until everybody comes clean and the house is brought back to order?

Not one more dime should go to the chamber until the matter is caleared up and the audit is complete.

The newly elected board should accept the task of bringing a Comet-style cleansing to this soiled organization.

The current imbroglio isn’t an obstacle that can’t be overcome. All that’s needed is some backbone and honesty. The chamber can rise from this and be better in the years to come.

It can all start Tuesday when the chamber members decide to take back control of their organization.