In the end, the women of Maplewood (NY) were able to stave off action, but the future remains uncertain. That's the latest on the Maplewood Village Special Improvement District's efforts to have a 90 year-old Women's Club building declared not tax-exempt so it can, of course, reap the annual benefits of some $85,000 in taxes.
The current members of the club fought hard to keep their building tax exempt with the argument that all the money they raise by renting out the building for just about any kind of event is used to benefit those in need. Effectively, the women are arguing that they have in their "clubhouse" a social enterprise -- a proven and I'm guessing, cost effective way to raise some cash for the causes the members believe in.
Tax exempt or not: that is the question. Do the good works of the women actually equal or exceed $85,000 a year? That might be one determinant. Might there be others? However, in these days of tight times for municipalities, every dollar counts and maybe the good deeds of some citizens are not enough to offset the needs of the wider citizenry. That of course is the question and all those with tax exempt properties are wise to begin building their arguments as the tax-man cometh.
For the story on the plight of the Maplewood Women's Club, see the New York Times.