Friends of Decatur Committee holds first meeting

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

DECATUR -- The Friends of Decatur Committee held its organizational meeting in the conference room at city hall Nov. 5.

The first order of business was the election of officers. Jason Mereworth was elected to lead this new committee. Nan McClain was elected to serve as vice-chairman and Shanna Tucker as secretary.

An ordinance establishing the The Friends of Decatur Committee was passed on three readings during the Sept. 14 city council meeting.

Within the next six weeks, The Friends of Decatur Committee will apply for a 501 (c)(3) non profit status from the Internal Revenue Service. This will allow the committee to collect and distribute monetary donations from corporations and private individuals wishing to give to a specific project in Decatur. Some of these projects include the park system, library, historical society and any others to which people may wish to contribute.

"This is a very important day for the city of Decatur," said Bob Tharp, Decatur mayor. "Some corporations and private foundations require cities to have a nonprofit organization in place in order to receive their donations. Now that the Friends of Decatur Committee is in place, the city now meets this requirement."

The Friends of Decatur Committee is expected to be fully operational and the nonprofit status in place by late March or early April of 2016. For more information on this committee, contact the Decatur city office at 752-3912.

General News on 11/11/2015