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Forest Park DDA discusses fraudulent checks, tables approval of financial statement
Summary
The Downtown Development Authority heard from its finance director about multiple attempted fraudulent checks, agreed to limit public display of bank details in packets, and tabled a vote on the August financial statement pending review of the redacted packet.
The Forest Park Downtown Development Authority on Thursday heard that multiple fraudulent checks were attempted against a DDA account and voted to delay approving the August financial statement while members review a redacted packet.
Director Wiggins told the board that the bank had been blocking attempts to cash or deposit the suspect checks and that the authority is in the process of moving funds to a new account. "These are fraudulent checks," Wiggins said, adding the bank was investigating the activity and the DDA would change accounts to reduce exposure.
The pause matters because board members did not have the full, redacted packet in front of them when Wiggins presented numbers from the DDA's financial system. Wiggins said the DDA could circulate a packet with bank statements redacted and present only the usual cover sheet during the public meeting. He read figures for operating cash: a beginning balance he gave as $2,627,385, deposits of $182,009.24, withdrawals and debits of $163,693, and an ending balance of $2,646,006.46. He also summarized month-to-date departmental payments and Georgia Fund 1 earnings, and concluded the financial report.
Board members pressed whether the DDA had filed a police report. "So we did not file our own police report?" asked Eric Stallings. Wiggins replied that the DDA had not yet filed its own police report because the bank was investigating and the DDA planned to change accounts first; he said he could file a report if the board wanted.
Because members lacked the full (redacted) packet at the dais, the mayor asked for a motion to table a vote on approving the financial statement; the chair moved to table the approval and the item was not voted on at the meeting. Wiggins recommended sending the packet to members with redactions and reviewing the cover sheet in public session, and board members agreed to follow up with questions after they have the packet.
The board did not adopt any new policy or take further formal action on filing a police report during the meeting. Next steps reported on the record included completing the bank-account change, circulating the redacted packet to DDA members, and responding to any additional questions at a future meeting.
