In election news from the Arnold-free zone, the Billings Area Chamber of Commerce has endorsed candidates in the upcoming Billings City Council election.

Ward 1: Incumbent Peggie Gaghen over Leon Pattyn.
Ward 2: Incumbent Larry Brewster over Angela Cimmino.
Ward 3: Eric Coobs over Vince Ruegamer.
Ward 4: Nancy Boyer over past council member Jack Johnson.
Ward 5: No endorsement due to "insufficient information" (former councilman Dick Clark vs. Rod Hein).

Interesting set of choices: two previous incumbents rejected, two current incumbents accepted. A retired banker with experience on the Big Sky Economic Development Authority board (Ruegamer) rejected. No endorsement in a race that includes the man who runs the Kwik Way stores in town (Clark).

The Chamber newsletter didn't provide much insight into the decisions, which were based on candidate surveys and interviews, other than to say that the chamber's Civic Affairs Committee "took the interviewing process very seriously" and that the Chamber "has made a very conscious [sic] effort" in endorsing candidates with views "such as pro business, a better business environment, option tax, the removal of disincentives, and greater examination of the city's budget and what programs the money is being spent on."

Meanwhile, Chamber members appear to be continuing to vote with their feet. The latest newsletter listed one new member and 10 departing ones. I don't see the newsletter much anymore since we voted with our feet and quit the Chamber, but a huge gap between new members and exiting ones was a feature of nearly every newsletter during the five years we were members.

As Chamber Chairman Scott Godfrey puts in this month's newsletter, "I have been asked many times why join the Chamber or what does the Chamber do for me?" If people have to ask, that's already part of the answer.

UPDATE: I asked Eric Coobs why he thought he got the Chamber's endorsement and he responded by e-mail that he thinks Ruegamer's endorsement of an optional sales tax did him in with the Chamber. Coobs says the city should cut what it can from the budget, and if it can't cut enough, "go to the voters and tell them what we need."

"The other thing I told the Chamber," he wrote, "is that I make my living doing business in this town, and since I've got 4 kids still at home, that I've got a personal stake in this town's future. The council shouldn't be a club for retirees, we should have a few working families on it, don't you think?"