Sanger residents stop city plan to shift Chamber contract authority

City Manager Nathan Olson withdrew a brief proposal to place the Sanger Chamber of Commerce contract under his authority after residents raised objections during the Feb. 5, 2026 city council meeting, and the city has opted not to change the chamber agreement for now. The chamber’s existing contract remains in effect and no new contract has been drafted as of the most recent reporting.

The agenda item presented at the early-February meeting sought to appoint the city manager as contract administrator for several city agreements and for a short time included the Sanger Chamber of Commerce contract. Community members objected during public comment and the chamber portion of the agenda item was pulled. A community Facebook post summarized the outcome: "Sanger residents raise chamber contract concerns SANGER – Following pushback from some community members, the city has opted out of changing."

The chamber’s current agreement was previously extended on the consent agenda at the July 17, 2025 council meeting. Senn said the chamber "did not hear any further developments until the extension was passed in the consent agenda at the July 17, 2025 Sanger City Council meeting. She also noted that in the past, chamber contracts have typically been approved as regular items and not consent items."

Negotiations over funding figures have been part of the backdrop. Olson confirmed that $120,000 "was the number discussed," but said he was initially opposed to a $40,000 increase from the prior $80,000 contract before becoming more receptive after further discussion. Olson attributed the absence of formal negotiations to the resignation of former chamber president Karen Pearson at the end of May 2025.

Olson also explained he had not formally drafted a new contract during talks with chamber representatives, saying he "hadn't officially drafted a new contract. He said he'd simply taken notes from the discussion between himself and the chamber to include." In an email he provided to reporters, Olson wrote, "Current budget for chamber will remain at 80k and I still intend to move Chamber and Rec across the street. More to come in the near future."

Council-level concern about procedure surfaced during the meeting. Montelongo said, "I believe in contracts, I believe in resolutions and I believe in policies, so when I see things, I will let the city manager know if something goes on. I love the chamber, and I love what they have to offer." That comment accompanied public scrutiny that led council members to remove the chamber from the contract-administrator proposal.

Olson said he has sent a list of concerns to the chamber that he aims to iron out but declined to disclose the contents, and he indicated more thorough conversations with chamber leaders may begin in the coming months. For now, the chamber’s budget remains at $80,000 and the extension passed July 17, 2025 remains the operative action on the council record.