Village Association to merge with Chamber of Commerce

Nobody at Siesta Key Village Association’s meeting today needed to be convinced to merge with the island’s Chamber of Commerce. 

SKVA members unanimously approved the proposal, which will take effect Jan. 1.

Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce Chairman and SKVA President Mark Smith was the sole speaker during the discussion. According to Smith, the merger will strengthen the influence of Village businesses by allowing them to coordinate island businesses outside the commercial district.

“Instead of focusing on the Village, we’re focusing on the whole island,” he said.

According to SKVA board member Russell Matthes, $40,000 of the association’s remaining $70,000 will be allocated to the chamber’s general fund. The remaining $30,000 will be used on immediate maintenance projects in the Village. Current SKVA members who are not members of the Chamber of Commerce will be grandfathered into chamber membership.

The SKVA was created in the late 1960s in lieu of a Chamber of Commerce, Matthes said. Prior to forming a maintenance agreement with Sarasota County eight years ago, a large portion of the association’s activities involved Village maintenance. Smith said maintenance costs made up 85% of the association’s expenditures prior to the maintenance agreement.

Matthes said after the agreement was reached, which allocated a certain amount of Siesta property taxes for maintenance purposes, the association realized most its activity was dedicated to the upkeep of the village. Conversations between the chamber and the Village Association began shortly after.

SKVA board member Kay Kouvatsos said that events such as the Easter egg hunt and Siesta Key Crystal Classic will continue under the merger. She believes the functions of both organization will be strengthened per the agreement.

“(We’re) enhancing both,” Kouvatsos said. “We’re losing nothing.”