Pasadena Chamber Faces Budget Gap, Polls Members On Dues Hike

The Pasadena Chamber of Commerce is facing a budget gap of more than $50,000 and is asking its members for their opinions on a possible dues increase.

In an email, Chamber CEO and President Paul Little said the Pasadena Chamber has seen a dramatic drop in revenue.

“Our single biggest fundraising event has been taken away,” Little said, and options for income are limited.

Revenues from membership are also dropping due to closed or relocated members, Little said.

Although the Chamber has cut expenses wherever possible, it still needs to find ways to balance its budget for the fiscal year 2023-24, he said.

The emailed statement said the Chamber’s Board of Directors will consider a proposal to increase the base rate of dues for all members by approximately 15% or 25%. The current base rate is $265 per year. The increase would affect only the base rate, not the per employee or per room costs.

The Chamber has not raised dues for members since 2013, when it implemented a three-tiered increase of 25% over three years, according to Little.

The Chamber sent out a survey to its members Wednesday to get their feedback on the proposal and other alternatives to close the budget gap. It said the survey is confidential and anonymous.