Martha Jones
Deputy Counsel: CEO’s Report Inaccurate
BLYTHEWOOD – As reported in the Feb. 14 issue of The Voice, Bravo Blythewood, the cultural arts arm of the Town of Blythewood, was sent a notification of fine for $2,000 from the S.C. Secretary of State’s office on Jan. 1 for continuing failure to register with and file its financial information with the agency’s Public Charities Division. The arts group was told it had 15 days to register.
According to minutes from Bravo Blythewood’s Feb. 17 meeting, obtained by The Voice last week, Bravo Blythewood CEO Martha Jones told the group that it had not been fined and that its registration with the Secretary of State’s office was in order.
When asked last Thursday if the matter was, indeed, settled as reported in the minutes of the meeting, Shannon Wiley, Deputy General Counsel of the Secretary of State’s office said Jones’s report was incorrect.
“Bravo Blythewood had not registered with the Division of Public Charities prior to submitting the registration form that we received on Monday, Feb. 10, 2014,” Wiley wrote in an email to The Voice.
“At this time, we are holding the registration at Ms. Jones’ request while she has her accountant prepare a (form) 990 EZ,” Wiley wrote. “An active charity is required to include a financial report with its registration if one has not been provided before.”
Wiley wrote that she had spoken with Ms. Jones on Tuesday (Feb. 11) and explained that the agency would not waive the $2,000 fine for late registration entirely, but would reduce the fine to $200 for administrative costs. Wiley said that Jones had 15 days to forward the financial report (990 EZ) and the $200 fine to her attention.
On Feb. 12, Wiley told The Voice that no financial records had been filed with the Public Charities Division for Bravo Blythewood since it was incorporated as a non-profit on Aug. 3, 2011.
While Bravo Blythewood is registered as a non-profit corporation with the business filing division, Wiley said because it solicits money and is funded by the town government, it must also be registered with the state’s Public Charities Division and file an annual financial report and an annual registration form.
Jones had not replied to an email request for comment from The Voice at press time.
