SPRING VALLEY – The Spring Valley Chamber of Commerce was left without a board in June when the entire board resigned, accusing village staff and the village board of being anti-business, a position village leadership vehemently denies. As the drama dies down, the chamber is hoping to regroup and elect interim leadership.

Village Administrator Luann Emerson and the village board received the five resignation letters via email from President Jeff Butler, Vice President Crystal Mooney, Treasurer Carina Hafner, Secretary Rosa Larson and Katie Schneider. All letters were dated June 18 with the exception of Schneider’s, which was dated May 30, around the time she left the village’s library director position.

In Butler’s two-page letter, he outlines his beliefs about a chamber’s mission and accuses village leadership of being against “outsiders” and new businesses.

“It’s pretty clear that Spring Valley is in the slowly dying category and it is a direct result of the failed leadership of our village government,” Butler wrote. “One could argue that at best Spring Valley’s track record is one of doing little to nothing and letting the chips fall where they may.”

Butler, co-owner Larson Valley Construction with Dan Larson, goes on to say that his goal was to bring about positive change or the business environment and community as a whole.

“Unfortunately, I have learned very quickly that as an outside not from Spring Valley, I will not ever be in a position to effect real change here because we have an even bigger problem with our local government than preventing economic growth,” he wrote. “We have a village government that treats similar situations and requests differently depending on WHO is making the request. This is wrong. Government is supposed to treat everyone equally with blind objectivity and zero bias.”

The other resignation letters are much shorter than Butler’s, with Schneider’s being one sentence and Larson’s paragraph stating that “we are having too many issues with the village approving our events and fighting the growth of our town.”

Mooney, owner of Mooney’s Rusty Horse, said the village has blocked them from closing roads and holding events to benefit local businesses.

“Other organizations don’t want us to help they only want us to pay,” Mooney said. “I feel the business owners deserve more for their funds they pay … I feel that this is a dying town with more and more businesses closing without village support.”

Hafner, who bought the Spillway with her husband in December 2024, said in her letter that being part of the chamber has “not been the best experience.” She stated her resignation was based on the need to remain neutral and stay out of politics.

“I see people being judged, berated, and down right drug through the dirt,” she wrote.

The village board response, signed by President Theresa Koch and trustees Brad Jorgenson, Ruth Lukes, Matt Huepfel, Liz Erickson, Rich O’Connell and Nate Pelz, said they wish the outgoing board members well in their future endeavors, but believe it’s important to address “the inaccurate and inflammatory remarks included in their statements.”

“The Village Board of Spring Valley takes seriously its responsibility to support the business community, encourage economic growth, and serve the public with fairness, professionalism, and transparency. The allegations made against the Village Government, the Board, and especially the Village Administrator are not only unfounded but also deeply misleading. They disregard the ongoing efforts, often made in collaboration with business stakeholders, to strengthen and grow our community.

“It is unfortunate that a personal disagreement or isolated interaction has been portrayed as a systemic failure. While no organization is above critique, broad and accusatory claims that the Village ‘discourages’ business or ‘targets’ individuals are categorically false. Spring Valley welcomes all business owners, whether long-established or new to the area. Decisions by Village staff and elected officials are made based on established procedures, legal requirements, and the best interests of the community as a whole.

“The Village Board and staff are committed to upholding transparency, fairness, and professionalism in all interactions with residents, business owners, and community members, regardless of background, length of residency, or personal affiliations. If any individual feels mistreated or has concerns about Village processes, the proper course of action is to utilize the formal channels available, such as scheduled meetings, written correspondence, or third-party mediation. Unfortunately, the outgoing board members did not pursue these avenues before making public accusations, thereby denying the Village the opportunity to address, investigate, or resolve the concerns constructively.

“The Chamber of Commerce plays an important role in our community, and its success depends on cooperation, not conflict. We remain committed to working with the Chamber and its future leadership to promote economic development, support local business growth, and foster a more connected and prosperous Spring Valley.

“We thank the Chamber’s outgoing officers for their past contributions and remain hopeful that new leadership will emerge to continue advancing the mission of business development and community engagement. The Village stands ready to support that work and reaffirms its commitment to the values of equity, opportunity, and growth.”

Village administrator

Butler’s letter accused Emerson of being unprofessional, hostile, angry and defensive. He went so far as to accuse her of treating those on her “bad side” poorly and retaliating against them.

“After becoming the new President of the Spring Valley Chamber of Commerce, it is clear that the personal animosity from the Village Admin and at least one Village Board Member toward myself and at least two other Chamber Board Officers make it impossible for the Spring Valley Chamber of Commerce to serve its purpose and reason for existing,” he wrote.

Emerson, former vice president of the chamber, said the resigning chamber board members had different ideas of running a chamber than the previous board.

“They did nothing with the Chamber Bucks program the previous Chamber Board started, nor did they promote July 4^th fireworks, banner, and other community events/ball games that were going on that day,” Emerson said. “They shut out other Chamber members as to input, etc. enough that members stopped going to Chamber meetings. We used to consistently get a dozen members there.”

Emerson said the outgoing officers attended several village board meetings, asking for thing that were against village ordinances.

“This Chamber Board wanted McKay Avenue, our main drag through town, shut down for various events,” Emerson said. “The Easter Egg Hunt had several streets blocked off as did the car show, both great events. This was allowed by the Village Board. They ended up with unpermitted food trucks and more than allowed by ordinance as well. The Village Board, after reading the resignations, cannot figure out what they asked for and didn’t get; they were given everything they asked for.”

Emerson said she and the village board don’t understand the “outsider” comments as they welcome new businesses.

“Stylush recently opened up as did a permanent food truck,” Emerson said. “We will soon have a practicing lawyer in the village.”

Former Chamber Secretary Julie Ducklow is working on getting a meeting together to elect interim leadership, Emerson said. The chamber currently lists 39 businesses/organizations as members.

“We currently have no leadership except Carina Hafner has agreed to stay on as Treasurer,” she added.

Anyone interested in serving on the chamber board or joining the chamber should email springvalleywichamber@gmail.com.