A nonprofit group that has gotten hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars over the years to run the Chandler Museum refuses to let the city examine its finances, according to city documents.

The Chandler Historical Society's president, Jim Patterson, said the allegations are untrue. Patterson said the city has not made clear to the society's board of directors what it wants.

"There's been no communication with the board as far as what the city really wanted and the board was not able to determine what it is the city really wanted," said Patterson, a former Chandler mayor.

City records show, however, that the city and Chandler Historical Society agreed verbally in May that the private organization would "make their financial records, staff and officers available to the City's internal auditor for a review of the CHS's operations the last three years byJune 1."

The city and historical society agreed this year to have the city take over the management of the museum, at 178 E. Commonwealth Ave., and plans were made to conclude the transfer of operations July 1. But the standoff over the audit has delayed that.

The city wants to examine the books to gain an understanding of the day-to-day operations of the museum, said Jody Crago, who will be managing the museum when the city takes it over.

City Manager Mark Pentz added in a letter to the board sent on Thursday that the city needs the audit so it can set a budget.

"We need to understand how the monies we have been providing your organization have been used and to what level we have been responsible for the total operating budget of CHS and the museum," Pentz wrote.

The city contributed $75,000 a year to the historical society from 2004 through 2006 and $105,000 last year, Crago said.

According to federal tax records, government contributions accounted for 50 percent to 70 percent of the organization's revenue from 2004 through 2006.

The forms did not provide a breakdown of the contributions and 2007 figures were not available.

The city has also provided about $18,000 a year of in-kind contributions, which are maintenance and cleaning of the city owned building where the museum is housed, and paying the museum's utilities, Crago said.

While Patterson maintained Wednesday that the organization is not withholding its books, he said providing them would create a privacy issue for donors.

Crago said the city's auditor is cognizant of the donors' privacy interests and could conduct the financial analysis and write the subsequent reports without divulging their identities.

The board and city officials are expect to meet next week.

"I think it will all work out, everybody will be satisfied," Patterson said.