Colquitt County approves audit of Moultrie airport authority

Colquitt County commissioners reportedly approved an eight-year forensic audit of the Moultrie-Colquitt County Airport Authority, according to a South Georgia news report published in late July. The report put the proposed cost at $45,050, but the accessible county records do not yet establish whether that figure is a final authorized expenditure, a contracted amount or an initial proposal.

The review follows questions about the airport authority’s use of Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, or T-SPLOST, money for mowing and spraying services. Because T-SPLOST is funded through a countywide sales tax, the issue matters to taxpayers throughout Colquitt County, including residents of Moultrie.

Why the audit was proposed

WALB reported in May that records showed two payments from the airport authority to WoCo Enterprises LLC: $25,928.50 dated October 4, 2024, and $12,000 dated March 11, 2025. The reporting also identified questions about the company’s connection to Airport Authority Chairman Mike Boyd.

According to WALB’s records-based report, the authority later voted to declare the WoCo agreement null and void after questions were raised about Boyd’s interest in the company. Boyd recused himself from that vote, and the authority reopened bidding for the airport’s vegetative services. WALB reported that the authority later selected another vendor.

Those records do not establish criminal wrongdoing or determine whether public money was misused. The purpose of a forensic audit is to review records, spending and oversight so officials and residents can better understand what occurred and whether controls were adequate.

Public trust and a future T-SPLOST decision

During a May 26 county commission meeting, commissioners discussed seeking an independent review after WALB’s reporting. WALB said the discussion included concerns about taxpayer trust and whether the controversy could affect public support for a future T-SPLOST renewal. Commissioners also said they were hearing questions from residents that officials could not yet answer.

The reported eight-year scope is described as reaching back to the relevant T-SPLOST period beginning in 2022, but the exact start and end dates should be confirmed in the county’s adopted minutes, motion or audit contract. The accessible county meeting page says minutes are posted only after the Board of Commissioners officially adopts them.

What residents should watch next

The next important details are the auditor selected, the final contract amount, the funding source, the audit start date, the records covered and the process for releasing findings. The available sources do not show that the audit has begun, and no audit findings have been reported.

For residents, the immediate news is the reported approval of an independent review—not a conclusion about the airport authority’s finances. The audit could clarify how T-SPLOST money was spent, how vendor decisions were made and whether stronger controls are needed before voters consider a future countywide transportation-tax renewal.

Sources

• FIRST South Georgia News Headlines
• Colquitt County meeting agendas and minutes
• WALB airport-authority audit report