Politics & Government

Community Association Still Pursuing Tax-Exempt Status

The Chestnut Hill Community Association continues to seek tax-exempt non-profit status despite owning a for-profit newspaper.

The Chestnut Hill Community Association continues to seek 501(c)(3) status has it looks to become a non-profit organization sometime in 2014.

Gumming up the works is the Chestnut Hill Local, the for-profit newspaper owned and operated by the Community Association. 

The Community Association wants non-profit status while still maintaining its oversight of the Chestnut Hill Local.

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“We want the transition to be as seamless as possible,” said Chestnut Hill Community Association Board of Directors President Brien Tilley.  “We want a structure that allows us to maintain the current relationship we have with the Local.”

The most popular structure proposed at Thursday’s meeting was turning the Chestnut Hill Community Association into a 501(c)(3) non-profit that was also a limited liability corporation. 

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The Local would then operate as a for-profit subsidiary under the non-profit Community Association’ s corporate umbrella.

“We need to find a structure that won’t drive us crazy,” said association member Richard Snowden.

Regardless of what structure the Community Association will take, they will take it.

Community Manager Celeste Hardester laid out a timeline that would have the Association voting to apply for non-profit status as earlier as November.

“We would need to hold a special election in Novemeber,” Hardester said.  “Any change in our corporate structure would necessitate changes in our bi-laws.”

“I’ll say this,” Tilley said.  “Can we say here and now that this issue will take up our entire October meeting?”

The answer is yes.


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