Friday, April 19, 2013
The Board of Commissioners gave an additional $169,000 to McClendon & Associates to complete its forensic audit on the failed venture.
An already cash-strapped Cherokee County had to cough up an additional $169,000 to allow a Newnan-based accounting firm to complete its forensic audit of the failed Ball Ground Recycling venture. The county Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved modifying its agreement with McClendon & Associates to change the not-to-exceed cap to $269,000 for the firm to complete its work. The board also approved an additional request for lead accountant Rhonda McClendon to retain Newnan attorney George Rosenzweig to ensure she's on the right track in her investigation. The attorney requested an amount not to exceed $50,000 for his services, which includes a $25,000 retainer. County Attorney Angela Davis said McClendon informed her the additional $…
Friday, January 11, 2013
The dismissal now allows Cherokee County to add the failed company to the list of defenders its suing in Cherokee County Superior Court. However, the company allegedly has no assets.
A United States bankruptcy court has dismissed the bankruptcy protection of a failed recycling venture Cherokee County is picking up the tab for. Judge Margaret Murphy, of the United States Bankruptcy Court Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division, signed the order dismissing Ball Ground Recycling from Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Jan. 3. Cherokee County Attorney Angela Davis said dismissal was brought forth since the company allegedly has no assets and "therefore there was not an ability to develop a payment plan for the benefit of creditors." Davis said the bankruptcy dismissal now allows the county to add the company to its civil suit as a defendant. District 1 Commissioner Harry Johnston also noted this dismissal now means the …
Thursday, January 10, 2013
The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners responded to a Cherokee County grand jury's recommendations and findings on the failed Ball Ground Recycling business.
The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners struck back at recommendations and findings issued last month by a Cherokee County grand jury that had harsh words for how the county handled the Ball Ground Recycling deal. The board on Tuesday approved a resolution in response to the grand jury's findings which were issued in December. The grand jury in its presentments and findings for the September 2012 term recommended several actions for the commissioners to take, including disciplining all county employees responsible for the collapse. The findings also state the grand jury found no similar entity undertaken by a development authority; the county did not use a free resource offered by the Association County Commissioners of Georgia; and …
Sunday, December 23, 2012
The Cherokee County Grand Jury recommends to the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners to hold employees accountable in the failed Ball Ground Recycling venture.
Thursday, December 20, 2012
The Cherokee County Grand Jury recommends to the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners to hold employees accountable in the failed Ball Ground Recycling venture.
The Cherokee County Grand Jury once again had harsh words for the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners in its investigation into the failed Ball Ground Recycling venture. The grand jury on Tuesday released its presentments and findings for the September 2012 term, most of which criticized the county government for how it handled the deal and subsequent fall out. Among its recommendations are: The county commission in 2006 created the Resource Recovery Development Authority and backed bonds up to $18 million to relocate Cherokee Recycling, later renamed Ball Ground Recycling, to land on Highway 5 just south of the Ball Ground city limits. The agreement stipulated Manager Jimmy Bobo was to make payments of the bond into an escrow account…
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
McClendon & Associates will get started on the audit of the failed Ball Ground Recycling deal immediately.
A Newnan-based firm will soon launch its investigation into the failed Ball Ground Recycling venture. The Cherokee County Commission voted to engage McClendon & Associates to perform a forensic audit related to the project in an amount not to exceed $75,000. Cherokee County Manager Jerry Cooper said the firm's time frame will include the present day and stretch back to 2005. If more money is needed to perform the work, county staff will come back to the commission for approval. McClendon & Associates was one of four firms recommend by a Cherokee County grand jury to perform the audit, Cooper added. The firm is one of two recommended by District Attorney Garry Moss and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. The county manager noted the …
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Cherokee County Commissioners will consider hiring McClendon & Associates to perform a forensic audit on the Ball Ground Recycling deal.
The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners will consider hiring a Newnan-based firm to perform an audit on the Ball Ground Recycling deal during its meeting today. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. following its 3 p.m. work session. Both meetings will be held at the county administration building. Cherokee County Manager Jerry Cooper recommends engaging McClendon & Associates to perform the forensic audit related to the project in an amount not to exceed $75,000. McClendon & Associates was one of four firms recommended by a Cherokee County grand jury that elected to review the Ball Ground Recycling deal earlier this year. As part of the audit, the firm will review county commissioners and county management, will seek and take direction from…
Thursday, October 18, 2012
The forensic audit was one recommendation issued by an interim Cherokee County grand jury earlier this year.
The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners unanimously voted to move forward on another recommendation issued by a grand jury on a failed business venture. The commissioners approved sending out a request for proposals to submit to five firms to perform an audit on the Resource Recovery Development Authority's deal to back bonds up to $18 million to relocate Cherokee Recycling, later renamed Ball Ground Recycling, to land near Ball Ground. County Commissioner Jason Nelms was not present. County Manager Jerry Cooper said the RFP was drafted with the input of Cherokee County District Attorney Garry Moss, a member of the grand jury who has experience in the issue and others. Two of the firms were recommended by Moss as they've done work for …
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
The county commission on Tuesday held a public hearing for its proposed fiscal year 2013 budget.
Cherokee County Commissioners received mostly critical feedback from residents on its proposed fiscal year 2013 budget. The county commission held a public hearing during its meeting on Tuesday for the budget, which slated to be approved during the commission's Nov. 6 meeting. A copy of the budget can be viewed on the county's transparency website. The budget is set at $193 million, a $3.1 million increase from $189 million when compared between Oct. 1, 2011, and Sept. 30, 2012. However, the county's fiscal year 2012 budget was based only on nine months, and totaled $133.7 million. Canton resident David Hodges said he felt the county needed to "prioritize" its spending. He noted the county used roughly $4 million in one-time funding …
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
A forensic audit would review the financials of Ball Ground Recycling.
The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners will consider sending out requests for proposal to conduct a forensic audit on an ill-fated business venture during its meeting today. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. at the county administration building, but commissioners will hold its regular work session to discuss the proposed RFP at 3 p.m. A forensic audit was one of 13 recommendations issued by an interim Cherokee County grand jury in the summer in their review of the county's issuance of $18 million in bonds to move the company from land on Blalock Road near Holly Springs to land on Highway 5 just south of Ball Ground. The company in May filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and the county has been in bankruptcy court in an effort to recoup …
Phil McCall
6:48 pm on Sunday, December 23, 2012
Twenty four months before the 'Bobo Boondoggle' came to light a local reporter named Carolyn Mathews did an excellent piece in the Lakeside Ledger. She interviewed various Commissioners about the potential of Bobo defaulting, and in retrospect to the published answers to Ms. Mathews questions it is inconceivable that the BOC is not held to account. I fault the existing BOC for not protecting us … more ›