Mobile County Commissioners Stephen Nodine and Mike Dean called Thursday for improved communication with the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce, but did not address whether to cut its funding.

Nodine had criticized the chamber Wednesday and threatened its county funding after learning that its legislative agenda included support for eminent domain laws and for the city of Mobile's annexation efforts.

The commission budgeted $317,905 to the chamber for the 2009-10 fiscal year.

Dean, the commission's president, said Thursday he agreed with Nodine that some of the chamber's aims were troubling.

"I want to say on the record that I don't support an annexation effort," Dean said. "It totally failed the test of fairness and transparency. I want to make it perfectly clear to this chamber, my position on annexation."

Nodine said, "It's horrible communication and has been for some time. ... The core of this community is the county. If it was up to me today, I wouldn't' support y'all. Because that annexation situation is key. You don't know how much that has damaged the communication and the cooperation in this community."

Commissioner Merceria Ludgood said chamber officials have assisted her with several matters.

"I have had absolutely the opposite experience with the chamber," Ludgood said, adding she received help from the chamber on limited zoning through the U.S. 43 area, the old Acordis site, among others. "The way that I communicate is that when I need to know something, I pick up the phone and say this is going on, is there some way you can help me?"

She said that communication "is a two-way street."

Bob Chappelle, the chamber's executive vice president, said the group would work to ease any misunderstandings with the commission.

"We are proud of the partnership we have had in the last several years," Chappelle said. "We're going to work together to make it even stronger."