EDC audit shows no surprises; board praises quail hunt

ALBANY — Albany-Dougherty Economic Development Commission board members got no surprises from a yearly audit report presented at the EDC’s monthly board meeting Wednesday morning.

Independent auditor Bill McDaniel, with the Albany-based Brown & McDaniel CPA firm, noted in his report for the fiscal year that ended June 30 that the EDC’s net position had decreased from $452,260 to $291,328, a 35.6 percent decline, but he said those numbers were expected.

“(The decline) was due primarily to the continuation of expending resources for the (One Albany) marketing and branding and business intelligence projects,” McDaniel said.

Those two projects, numbers from the audit show, accounted for $248,259 in total costs, leaving the EDC’s fund balance at $182,291, a $194,025 (51.6 percent) decrease from the previous year.

The board approved the audit and signed off on sending the required Organization Exempt Income Tax Form 990 to the Internal Revenue Service.

“The numbers (on the form) are prepared and ready to be filed,” McDaniel said before the board voted to approve the Form 990 filing.

In his review of recent EDC staff activities, commission President Justin Strickland said the recently held Georgia Quail Hunt, which attracted a number of site location consultants, was an overwhelming success.

Board member Chris Hatcher recounted comments offered by one of the participants.

“What impressed me most is (the site consultant) chose to focus on our community and the relationships she’d established here, even though this was a statewide event,” Hatcher said. “She said she’s gone to hundreds of events like this all over the world, and ours was the best one she’s been to. That speaks well of our staff and our volunteers.”

County Administrator Richard Crowdis, who also serves on the EDC board, said the $20,000 budgeted by the organization to help sponsor the event, which is presented by the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, was money well-spent.

“Our total investment was $20,000; that’s $6,667 from all three of the EDC’s sponsoring entities: the city, the county and the chamber of commerce,” Crowdis said. “You talk about bang for your buck.

“Since the Quail Hunt and the Red Carpet Tour at the Masters (golf tournament in Augusta) are the only two events sponsored by the Georgia Chamber each year, on behalf of the county, I’d have to say the Quail Hunt is a tremendous event and it’s always an honor to have it here.”