Facts, Not Fear – Financial Transparency in Big Canoe
Neighbors,
A recent online article claimed that Big Canoe’s finances are hidden, compromised, and subject to “hush money” payouts. The language was sensational, but let’s step back from rumor and look at the facts.
📜 What Georgia Law Requires
Under the Georgia Nonprofit Corporation Code (§ 14-3-1602), property owners (as members of the POA) are entitled to inspect certain records:
- Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws
- Minutes of member meetings and actions
- A list of current directors and officers
- The Association’s most recent annual financial statements (balance sheet, income statement, and auditor’s report, if any)
Members may also request broader records, like accounting documents, but only if:
- The request is made in good faith
- The request has a proper purpose reasonably related to the member’s role
- The purpose is described with particularity
- The records are directly connected to that purpose
This means: a request to verify budget accuracy is legitimate; a request to gather material for a Facebook article is not.
🗂 What the POA’s Policies & Procedures Say
Big Canoe’s Policies & Procedures (Policy 156) adopt the Georgia law framework. They confirm:
- Members may inspect and copy records required by law with 5 business days’ written notice.
- Requests must meet the good faith/proper purpose test.
- The POA may decline requests where there is a reasonable basis to doubt the purpose.
- Certain documents are always confidential, such as personnel files, attorney-client privileged documents, and contracts under negotiation.
💡 What the POA Actually Provides
Here’s where the rumor mill and reality diverge. While Georgia law requires only annual financial statements, Big Canoe posts an entire library of information monthly, accessible to all property owners on the POA website:
- Monthly Financial Statements – Income, expenses, balance sheet, amenity performance, and cash flow.
- Measures & Tracking Reports – Comparing budgeted vs. actual results, month by month.
- Budgets – Annual operating and capital budgets, plus monthly capital project tracking.
- Audited Financials – Annual audits by Mauldin & Jenkins, independent CPAs, who most recently confirmed the POA’s books are “clean and in good order.”
- IRS Form 990s – Federal nonprofit tax filings that disclose compensation and other details.
📎 You can access these any time on the POA website’s Financials page.
🔍 Examples of Proper vs. Improper Requests
- ✅ Proper Purpose: “I serve on the Finance Committee and would like the trial balance to verify how amenity expenses are allocated.”
- ✅ Proper Purpose: “I believe a line item in the annual report may be misstated; may I review the supporting schedule?”
- ❌ Not Proper Purpose: “I want the trial balance so I can write a Facebook article criticizing the POA.”
- ❌ Not Proper Purpose: “I’m just curious about every invoice for the last five years.”
Georgia law and Big Canoe policy are designed to balance transparency with accountability — ensuring property owners have meaningful access without exposing the POA to harassment, misuse, or breach of confidentiality.
✅ The Bottom Line
- Georgia law requires minimal disclosure.
- Big Canoe’s By-Laws are silent on record requests.
- Big Canoe’s Policies follow state law, with safeguards.
- The POA goes far beyond the minimum, posting monthly financials, budgets, audits, and 990s for every property owner to access freely.
Big Canoe’s finances are not in the shadows — they’re published, reviewed, audited, and accessible.
Could communication always improve? Yes, and I’ll continue pushing for plain-language summaries and more opportunities for Q&A. But the facts speak for themselves: we already exceed the legal standard for transparency.
📣 Your Voice Matters
Now I’d like to hear from you.
- Do you feel the financial information the POA provides is clear and accessible?
- What improvements would help you better understand how your assessment dollars are used?
- Would a monthly plain-language summary, or small-group Q&A sessions, make a difference?
Please share your thoughts with me directly — I welcome your emails, phone calls, and conversations around the community. Your input helps shape how we move forward together.
Transparency isn’t just about posting documents — it’s about listening to property owners and making sure you feel confident in how your money is being managed.
—Roger
