Financial records of the city's Convention and Visitor Development Department, paid for by the city and managed by the Greater Marshall Chamber of Commerce showed – at least during five months of 2001 – a pattern of sloppy record-keeping and questionable expenditures that would appear to violate the chamber's contract with the city.

The Marshall News Messenger asked for records from a seven-month period of 2001, but received only five of those months, though some months were received multiple times. The newspaper has also requested financial reports from 2005, but has not yet received them.

However, according to the records the newspaper has received, the chamber of commerce has spent taxpayer money to:

Upgrade three computer systems in the chamber office, not just the computer used by the CVD.

Pay almost $1,400 to the driver of a Wonderland of Lights tour bus under the heading of "professional development."

Pay other employees about another $1,400 for "professional development."

Send a staff member to a travel show during a time period when there was no CVD director. No records exist of who was sent or exactly how that money was spent.

The newspaper also discovered that, unlike city of Marshall employees, receipts are not kept nor required of expense account items for CVD funds. There is also no check by the chamber of commerce board, or anyone else, of how expense account money is spent by chamber President/CEO Connie Ware, according to records on file.

Officials said Convention and Visitor Development is solely operated by funds received from the hotel/motel occupancy tax. That amount was $115,000 in 2001.