Tensions between the newly formed Cowboy Capital Association and the Bandera County Chamber of Commerce came to a head at oct. 12's Bandera City Council meeting, where a chamber official accused the CCA of “business poaching.”
The CCA, a nonprofit who describes itself as an organization focused on promoting tourism and strengthening businesses throughout Bandera County, formed shortly after the Chamber parted ways with former Executive Director James Hernandez in July.
Hernandez now serves as the CCA’s executive director. Texas Salt Co. owners Andrew Almand and Danniel Almand serve as president and vice president, respectively, and Nicole Lee serves as secretary.
The CCA encountered an early roadblock at the council's regular meeting, where the majority of council members opposed closing Cypress Street for the organization’s First Friday event.
“You want us to shut down one of two ways to turn left on Main Street?” Council member Debbie Breen asked. “That doesn’t even make sense for the citizens.”
Breen suggested moving the event to the courthouse, but Hernandez disagreed, arguing that holding it on Cypress Street would be more beneficial to local businesses.
“You mean it would be better for Salty’s [Texas Provisions],” Breen said.
Hernandez took issue with Breen’s insinuation and provided The Bulletin with a petition signed by local businesses supporting the proposed First Friday street closure. Signatories included the Bandera General Store, Mercantile on Main, Art Sea Paint & More and Hyo Silver.
The petition was also provided to the council.
“The petition we provided to Council had signatures from many business owners, which clearly shows that the CCA was being the voice for a growing number of local businesses who want an opportunity to have a big First Friday event every month to bring out shoppers, so it was incorrect for her to ignore those businesses and claim this was only about the Texas Salt Co.,” Hernandez told the Bulletin. “Deb Breen’s comments come across as anti-business, which is not in the best interest of the council.”
The CCA faced another point of contention when Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Linda Wilder accused Hernandez of pursuing businesses that hold memberships with the Chamber, despite a noncompete agreement Hernandez signed upon his departure.
“We had a separation agreement with James, who is now the face of the CCA, and he’s here asking for this closure,” Wilder said, adding that the Chamber is facing financial constraints. “We had a separation agreement for non-compete, and yet the CCA is competing for our membership, and we have an issue with that.”
Hernandez disputed the agreement’s enforceability, arguing that it was not legally binding.
“In Texas, non-compete agreements are treated as a restraint of trade, which means they are illegal,” Hernandez said. “They are in violation of the Texas Free Enterprise and Antitrust Act (Texas Business and Commerce Code 15.05), so I never signed anything with the Chamber that was legally binding in any way. But putting legal matters aside, I support the Chamber and the work they do.”
Hernandez added he has visited the Chamber weekly for the past two months to provide training and assistance to its volunteers and office manager without compensation.
“Our goal at the CCA is to complement the work of the Chamber, BBA, EDC, and the CVB,” Hernandez said. “We are here to support them and their efforts and can only hope that they feel the same way about the CCA.”
Chamber President Michele Kosmalski provided a statement to The Bulletin that addressed the organization’s concerns about the CCA’s outreach to local businesses.
“Our concern is not about preventing competition. It is about ensuring that the businesses at the heart of Bandera are not placed in an unnecessarily difficult position,” the statement read in part. “We believe all organizations serving this community should remain mindful of the demands placed on local businesses and seek constructive ways to support their success.”
The CCA also provided a statement defending its outreach efforts and asking the city to evaluate its street closure request separately from the dispute between the organizations.
“Businesses are not the property of any organization. They have the right to choose whom they support and where they participate,” the statement read in part. “The Chamber’s concerns about CCA’s membership outreach were not relevant to a discussion about a street closure.”
The statement added that the CCA’s request should be evaluated based on traffic and public safety considerations, noting that businesses along the proposed closure support the event and participation would be open to everyone.
Full Statements
Bandera Chamber of Commerce
Veronica Rector, The Bandera Chamber of Commerce appreciates the opportunity to address recent events and provide our perspective to the community. Since our founding in 1954, the Chamber's mission has remained consistent: supporting local businesses, strengthening our local economy, and creating opportunities for Bandera to thrive.
Like any organization responsible, the Chamber must continually evaluate its operations, staffing, and priorities to ensure we are serving our members effectively. The decision to part ways with Mr. Hernandez was difficult and followed careful consideration by the Board of Directors. These decisions are never taken lightly, and our responsibility is to act in the best long-term interests of the Chamber, its members, and the community we serve.
We are actively restructuring our office and evaluating how best to allocate our resources, strengthen our programs, and deliver greater value to our members. Our focus is on building an organization that is responsive, effective, and positioned to meet the evolving needs of Bandera's business community and our commitment to our members
Regarding the formation of CCA and its efforts to establish its own membership, our primary concern is not competition between organizations. Businesses have the right to determine which organizations best serve their interests, and the Chamber will continue to demonstrate its value through business advocacy, community partnerships, networking opportunities, and programs that support local economic growth.
During discussions regarding Mr. Hernandez's departure and the transition that followed, assurances were given that our existing membership would not be solicited for a competing organization. The Chamber relied on those assurances in good faith. We believe professional commitments and clear expectations are important, particularly in a close-knit community such as Bandera.
While we do not necessarily believe CCA's efforts to establish its own membership will directly determine the future of the Bandera Chamber of Commerce, we do believe the broader impact on our local business community deserves consideration.
Bandera is a small community, and our local businesses are the foundation of our economy. They provide the jobs, sponsorships, services, and financial support that sustain many of our community's organizations and events.
When multiple organizations seek financial support and membership from the same pool of local businesses, owners may feel increased pressure to divide limited resources or choose between organizations.
Our concern is not about preventing competition. It is about ensuring that the businesses at the heart of Bandera are not placed in an unnecessarily difficult position.
We believe all organizations serving this community should remain mindful of the demands placed on local businesses and seek constructive ways to support their success.
The Chamber remains committed to its members, our local businesses, and the future of Bandera. We will continue to evaluate our operations, strengthen our services, and demonstrate our value through the work we do—not simply through the words we say. We appreciate the opportunity to share our perspective and reaffirm our commitment to serving the Bandera community.
Board of Directors,
Michele Kosmalski, President
Bandera Chamber of Commerce
Cowboy Capital Association
Businesses are not the property of any organization. They have the right to choose whom they support and where they participate. The Chamber's concerns about CCA's membership outreach were not relevant to a discussion about a street closure.
The City Council's responsibility is to evaluate what serves Bandera's public interest and economic well-being, not to determine which organization should lead those efforts. First Friday has already moved once to accommodate another organization's calendar. Why should it be expected to move again?
Economic development should not be confined to one street, one organization, or one weekend.
The claim that First Friday would take business away from Main Street overlooks the purpose of economic development. Every vendor permit generates revenue for the City, and every booth creates an opportunity for a small business to grow. Today's booth vendor could be tomorrow's Main Street storefront. That is the advocacy CCA stands for.
Economic development is not a competition between streets. A customer visiting Cypress Street is still a customer visiting downtown Bandera.
The businesses of Bandera and Bandera County fund this city's government. The City should stand fully behind them.
With the support of the businesses along the proposed closure, and with participation open to everyone, we ask that our request be evaluated on its merits. It should be judged by fair and consistent standards for traffic and public safety, not by organizational disagreements.
We are not asking the City to favor CCA. We are asking it not to favor anyone.
Bandera's economic growth should be measured by the opportunities we create, not by which organization creates them.
Cowboy Capital Association
Commerce • Community • Advocacy
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