The Camp at Findley is currently engaged in a struggle to have its tax-exempt status restored.

MINA — In response to a change in their tax-exempt status, the Board of Directors of the Camp at Findley recently mailed letters to residents of the town requesting “prayers, support and financial help to see us through this difficult time.”

In April 2022, the Camp At Findley received a letter informing them that their tax-exempt status was being revoked. Since then, according to Don Blakeslee, camp board chairman, the camp has been engaged in a legal claim to attempt to regain their former status.

“They didn’t really give us a reason,” Blakeslee said. “We sent two people to meet with them and they said, ‘Where are your lawyers?'”

Blakeslee said a hearing has been set for July 9 and 10. So far, the camp has paid more than $50,000 in taxes, and nearly that much in legal fees, Blakeslee said.

“We’ve been just barely creeping along, trying to run a ministry,” he said.

The letter the camp issued to area residents gave some background on the facility. Camp Findley was purchased in 1936 to hold Bible Conference and Leadership training. In 1971, the Western PA Conference of the United Methodist Church took over and in 1974, the Western NY Conference purchased the camp.

In 2018, the conference planned to close the camp. According to the letter, many who had experienced how Christian camping can favorably impact the lives of children and adults alike, donated funds to purchase the property. Subsequently, the Camp at Findley was incorporated to continue running as a non-denominational Christian camp, with leadership provided by a Board of Directors.

Blakeslee said that while the camp does not always provide religious programming to groups that come there, it maintains a Christian atmosphere.

“We’re not doing programs for everyone who comes in here,” he said. “Our hope is that we will build relationships with people and have some impact on their faith”‘

Blakeslee noted that during the COVID pandemic, when large groups were prohibited, the board let out some of the cottages as short-term rentals. The camp discontinued this practice when pandemic mandates were lifted.

Blakeslee said the board understands that there are criteria for meeting 501c tax exemption, and he feels they have been meeting these requirements. However, he said, the town seems to think otherwise.

“‘They think there should be something religious every time we have somebody here,” he said. “We feel like we are meeting the requirements.”

Blakeslee noted the camp relies heavily on volunteers, and only has two paid staff members. This dispute has prevented the camp from hiring additional people, he said.

“We had hoped we would have been able to have the staff to run the camp, but we are still using a lot of volunteers,” he said.

The town’s attorney, Tad Wright, provided information regarding the revocation of Camp Findley’s tax exemption.

“In 2022 it came to the town’s assessor that Camp Findley had entered into a 15-year residential lease with private tenants. Upon investigation the assessor also determined that various buildings at the camp were being advertised as short-term rentals available to people visiting the area,” he said.

Wright went on to say that, accordingly, the assessor revoked the tax exemption for the property.

“After a hearing conducted by the town’s Board of Assessment Review, at which the assessor and representatives of the camp presented testimony, the Board of Assessment Review determined the property was being used in part as income property and that the Camp was not entitled to an exemption,” he said. “The camp has challenged this determination for tax year 2021 and the succeeding tax years.”

Blakeslee said the letter sent to Mina residents by the Board of Directors of the camp has been well received, and the camp has even received some financial gifts to support it.

“We are struggling to keep the camp operating due to all the legal fees and taxes,” he said. “We have tried to handle these issues quietly, but it is now time to make our donors, volunteers and visitors aware of what we’re up against.”