Nonprofit claims questioned as vendor fees routed to personal accounts, with residents calling it another display of incompetence.

Documents circulating in Cottleville are raising serious questions about how funds for the upcoming “Cottleville Christkindl Market” are being collected and managed and whether the event is being misrepresented to the public.

A flyer promoting the market proclaims it to be a nonprofit event and invites vendors to pay a $50 fee. But instead of directing money to a registered organization, the vendor application presented as a City of Cottleville form and the flyer instructs participants to send payments straight to Mayor Stephen Thompson’s personal Venmo account or home mailing address. Inquiries are funneled to a Gmail account, not an official city or nonprofit channel, further blurring the line between personal business and public duty.

Despite claims of nonprofit status, a review of available records and materials found no evidence that the Christkindl Market is registered as a nonprofit entity in Missouri or with the IRS. That absence of documentation raises red flags about oversight, accountability, and whether the event has any legitimate charitable structure at all.

Local businesses, according to accounts circulating in the community, have already refused to sponsor the market, citing the lack of a nonprofit entity. The scheduling of the market on the same day as long-standing community events including the Salvation Army Red Kettle kickoff and St. Joseph’s Bazaar has only deepened frustration, with some viewing the move as a reckless disregard for collaboration and community trust.

The optics are troubling. City branded paperwork is paired with private payment channels. A personal website and a Gmail address are being used in place of official city resources. To many observers, this is not just sloppy management but either incompetence or outright ignorance of the codes and standards that govern nonprofit fundraising and public office. The mayor, yet again, has shown his absolute incompetence in running an event, leaving residents questioning his ability to separate personal interests from his public responsibilities.

Until transparency is provided, vendors and sponsors remain in the dark about where their money is going and Cottleville residents are left wondering why their Mayor is running  a “nonprofit” operation that looks anything but.