Leaders of the Astoria-Warrenton and Seaside chambers of commerce are taking a stand against the three Clatsop County commissioner recall campaigns.

But not all chamber members are on board.

Three Clatsop County commissioners, Ann Samuelson, Jeff Hazen and Patricia Roberts, are facing recalls driven largely by liquefied natural gas opponents.

The chambers announced their opposition to the recalls in two letters to the editor published Friday in The Daily Astorian.

The letters were signed by the Seaside Chamber board and executive director Al Smiles and by the Astoria-Warrenton Chamber board and executive director Skip Hauke, and were written after the two chambers’ boards of directors voted on the issue.

Some members of the Astoria-Warrenton Area Chamber of Commerce say they were shocked to see the announcement. Some disagree with the organization’s leadership and others just don’t think the chamber should be taking sides in local politics. Scott Lee, manager of Bikes and Beyond in downtown Astoria and a chamber member, said he thinks the Astoria-Warrenton chamber violated its own bylaws in speaking out on the recalls.

The chamber bylaws say the organization “shall be non-partisan, non-sectional, and non-sectarian. It shall not by resolution or otherwise be committed to the support or endorsement of any candidate for public office.”

Lee submitted a letter to the editor of The?Daily Astorian Tuesday saying that chamber should not be taking political stands and does not speak for his business. Bikes and Beyond “will not support or endorse political candidates, parties or movements,” the letter says.

Lee said he’s not pulling his chamber membership yet because he appreciates the work the organization does to help his business.

“But I thought violation of the bylaws was very clear,” he said. “I believe (Hauke) is not speaking for the members. I never got a call from him asking my position on anything.”

The recalls stem from the County Commission’s recent vote to approve the land-use application for the Bradwood Landing liquefied natural gas project, and they’re generating friction countywide as politicians, citizen groups – and now business organizations – take sides. So far, none of the three campaigns has submitted the signed petitions required to put a recall on the ballot.

Hauke and Smiles stressed that their groups are opposing what they consider the misuse of the state’s recall law, and their positions should not be interpreted as a commentary on LNG or the commissioners’ vote on the Bradwood project.

Each chamber has its own board of directors that votes on policy matters for the private nonprofit chamber organizations. The?Astoria-Warrenton chamber board has 15 members, and all but one voted to oppose the recalls, according to Hauke. He declined to identify one board member who abstained.

The Seaside chamber board has 10 members, and all but one voted to oppose the recalls, according to Smiles. He declined to name the board member who disagreed.

Hauke said the chamber board decides whether to poll membership before voting on an issue. The chamber polled members on the issue of LNG a couple years ago, he said, and the consensus was the organization should not take a position. The bylaws say the chamber shouldn’t support political candidates, he said, but the board decided it could unanimously support the elected county commissioners.

“We’re trying to support our local officials who work so hard for all of us,” Hauke said. “Just because we don’t agree with them on one issue doesn’t mean we recall them.”

Laura Snyder, a chamber member and owner of Lucy’s Books in downtown Astoria, said she thinks citizens should have the option to recall their representatives and doesn’t think the chamber should be weighing in on the issue.

“There’s a real line being crossed here,” she said. “I was really thrown that this organization, whose role I?believe is to promote our businesses, is taking a political stand. … I?was really offended because I don’t share the view. … I?think recall is a valid recourse for being unrepresented. That’s democracy. It’s ugly and messy, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad.”

Snyder said she just paid her annual chamber dues in June but will consider leaving the organization next year.

“I’m in for the year,” she said, “but I’m really questioning what my membership is doing for me at this point.” Smiles said Seaside’s chamber leaders are not speaking for all of the members.

“The board of directors and I were very careful to make that clear,” Smiles said. “We were very aware of the fact that our members may feel one way or the other. That’s why the letter was signed by myself and the board only.”

Smiles said the recalls have the potential to disrupt government by setting off an endless chain reaction of recalls over LNG.

“Once this door is opened, when does it end?” he asked. “Our concerns are for us to be a county that people want to do business in, that people want to visit and that people see as a place to prosper and generate income. … We’re opposed to people wasting public money and time if it can be better spent on public service.”