Three firms reduce support of chamber in tax dispute

Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2003 | 11:08 a.m.

Cox Communications and developers The Greenspun Corporation and the Howard Hughes Corp. are scaling back their support of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce.

Executives of each of the companies said the firms will retain their chamber memberships, but will reduce additional support that was provided in the past. They cited differences over the chamber's opposition to a broad-based business tax such as the gross receipts tax that was proposed by Gov. Kenny Guinn.

Earlier this year MGM MIRAGE, Station Casinos Inc. and Mission Industries cancelled their chamber memberships. All cited the tax position as a factor in their decision.

"We were not in agreement with the chamber in the last legislative session," said Steve Schorr, vice president of public and government affairs for Cox's Las Vegas operations.

He emphasized that Cox will remain a chamber member but said sponsorship and involvement in other programs, including the annual Preview Las Vegas event, will be dropped.

Phillip Peckman, chief operating officer for The Greenspun Corporation, and Bruce Spotleson, group publisher of that corporation's Greenspun Media Group, are both on the chamber's Board of Trustees. Both executives said they had no immediate plans to leave the board.

Companies owned by the Greenspun family also include the Las Vegas Sun.

Kevin Orrock, an executive vice president of the Howard Hughes Corp., also is expected to retain his position on the chamber board, said Tom Warden, a spokesman for the company.