The Hays Chamber of Commerce is taking another look at how their Chamber Cheques program is run after a Newton woman was charged with felony theft for allegedly printing off the Newton Chamber of Commerce Bucks and giving them to family and friends and not paying for them.

Tammy Wellbrock, Executive of the Hays Area Chamber of Commerce, told Hays Post that she is extremely confident that what appears to be happening in Newton cannot happen in Hays. But she also said that she is using the situation as a way to review their internal process.

The Hays Chamber Cheques are an actual check that is printed and is reconciled through the bank and Wellbrock said that they have implemented financial oversights to avoid incidents like the one in Newton.

Some Chambers will actually print a type of coupon that they use as their chamber bucks.

In 2009 when the company the Chamber used to work with, on the Chamber Cheques, went bankrupt Wellbrook said their Board of Directors chose to reissue new Cheques to replace the ones that were part of the old bankrupt system. Although by law they were not required to do so.

Wellbrook added that she has “the absolute belief that our Chamber Board will do what is needed to make things right.”