The Athabasca Regional Multiplex Society (ARMS) received a clean audit opinion with a warning about a segregation of duties during its annual general meeting June 18.
Rebryna Danna LLP, a professional accountant company, presented to the ARMS board about its audit during the June 18 meeting. The opinion on the audit said the society's statements are accurate and consistent with Canadian accounting practices.
"The financial statements present fairly, in all material aspects, the financial position of Athabasca Regional Multiplex Society," managing partner Shane Rebryna said during the meeting. "Clean audit opinion is what's being reflected here."
Rebryna said outside of cash on hand for ARMS, which reduced from $212,580 in 2016 to $136,390 in 2017 from most of the society's financials were consistent between the two years.
ARMS revenues also increased from $875,695 in 2016 to $965,138 to 2017, according to the ARMS audited financial statements. However, the deficit increased overall from $987,933 in 2017 to $1,062,146 in 2017.
Rebryna said the size of ARMS creates an increased risk of fraud due to a lack of segregation of duties, meaning different people taking care of different steps of financial management. The firm recommended cheque signers carefully review payments to address that.
"Just noting because of the fact the organization is smaller, to be diligent essentially," Rebryna said, adding it is just the way smaller organizations are.
New discount for emergency responders
The ARMS board passed a motion to give emergency first responders a 20 per cent discount for adult yearly memberships during its June 18 meeting.
The discount will apply to RCMP, volunteer firefighters and ambulance personnel.
Interim Multiplex general manager Kelsea Brown said similar discounts are done in the recreation centres of nearby municipalities.
"A lot of outside towns do have it for free as incentive to stay and be part of the community," Brown said during the meeting. "From my understanding, there aren't a lot of incentives in the area as far as that goes."
However, society director David Pacholok, who later made the motion for the discount, questioned giving it to emergency services over other groups.
"Why it's just emergency services? I'm just not sure if the reasoning is good enough that one group should be entitled to a break and not some other special interest group," Pacholok said during the meeting.
Society director Travais Johnson said is important to give back to emergency services.
"I know when it comes to emergency services, it is above and beyond," Johnson said. "Some of those guys dealing with PTSD. A way to give back. I can defend it to any one of my ratepayers."
Hall of Fame
The ARMS board is planning to create a hall of fame to recognize outstanding athletes from the community.
The board passed a motion during its June 18 meeting to direct administration to create a policy for a hall of fame.
The idea was proposed by society director Larry Armfelt who said although students participating in school sports and activities get good recognition from their schools, there is a need to recognize other student athletes.
"The hole that I see is the students that participate in something that is not a school activity and I do not believe they get the recognition they deserve," Armfelt said during the meeting.
