Voters next fall may be asked to help settle a squabble over hospitals and other charities that make so much money, some believe they should no longer be tax-exempt. Lawmakers on both sides of the issue suggest that the state should re-examine whether organizations that pay top executives six- or seven-figure salaries ought to be exempt from property taxes. The trade publication Modern Health Care estimated the average compensation for 147 chief executive officers at nonprofit hospitals across the country at $2.2 million a year. "Any organization with a CEO making $2 million a year can afford to help pay for police and fire protection," said state Sen. John Wozniak, D-Cambria County.
