The future of businesses in Virginia City is murky in the wake of the Montana Heritage Commission terminating old contracts and offering short-term leases, as NBC Montana has previously reported. That’s why a small meeting room in Virginia City was packed to capacity on Friday morning, with dozens of residents eagerly awaiting an update from the MHC on the future of the town they love and treasure.

“I hate to say this, and with all due respect, I feel like you are rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. I mean, what we have dealt with since early December is a commerce department that doesn’t want to listen to this town,” said Virginia City Mayor Justin Gatewood shortly before he was cut off by the MHC board due to him exceeding the 2-minute per person allocated public comment.

The MHC states that due to embezzlement from their former director, Elijah Allen, they have been forced to, in many cases, charge lessees 15% of gross revenues, a move decried as outrageous and untenable by some businesses and residents.