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November 28, 2007
For more information, contact:
Bonnie J. Prigge, (573) 265-2993
MRPC IMPACT: FOR EVERY DOLLAR SPENT, $7.92 GENERATED
FOR REGION
Auditor gives agency clean bill of health
ST. JAMES— For every dollar the Meramec Regional Planning Commission spent in FY2006-07, $7.92 was brought into the region for the benefit of residents, MRPC announced recently with the publication of its 2007 Annual Report.
Making money is not the goal of MRPC, but sustaining the organization is, explained Richard Cavender, executive director. “So much of our work is reimbursed based on actual expenses, as a result, there are few opportunities to tuck funds away for a bad year,” Cavender said.
Fiscal Year 2006-2007 was a good one for MRPC. The books were closed on June 30 in the black, with a surplus of $27,068—less than 2 percent of the revenues.
Actual expenditures in 2006-07 was $1,427,649 with revenues of $1,454,717.
“From our perspective, it’s not the size of MRPC’s budget or its surplus that is necessarily important but the impact—the results—those operating dollars produce that are worth noting,” Cavender said.
MRPC measures its impact by its return on investment. For several years now, MRPC has tracked its pass-through dollars, which are those funds that go through MRPC directly into the region as local government grants, business loans, housing assistance, among other things.
Pass-through dollars in 2006-07 were $11.3 million, double the 2003-04 figure. The impact of those dollars goes much further. Using a conservative multiplier of 2.5, MRPC had an economic impact valued at $28.28 million in 2006-07.
While not all of MRPC’s operating dollars were spent in the region, a large portion of them were. Personnel—at $725,131—is MRPC’s single largest expense, and all of MRPC’s employees live in the region.
“When you factor in MRPC’s expenditures, the additional economic impact was $3.6 million, for a total impact of nearly $31.88 million,” Cavender said. “ That’s a figure worth noting—and one that counties, cities and constituents benefit from day-after-day.”
In 2006-2007, the largest pass-through of dollars and private investment was in the business loan program with $5.2 million, followed by community development with $3.5 million, then housing programs with $2.4 million and finally, environmental programs with $160,000 in pass-through funds.
MRPC numbers also met the approval of its auditors. At its October meeting, Molly Malone of Verkamp and Malone, Rolla, presented a clean audit report to the MRPC board. Malone praised the organization and staff for the excellent job it does in managing funds prior to the board approving the audit.
Likewise, the Phelps County Public Housing Agency and the MRB Corporation also received clean audits and are managed by MRPC.
Formed in 1969, MRPC is a voluntary council of governments serving Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Osage, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties and their respective cities. A professional staff of 25, directed by the 52-member MRPC board, offers technical assistance and services, such as grant preparation and administration, housing assistance, transportation planning, environmental planning, ordinance codification, business loans and other services to member communities.
Persons wishing to receive a copy of MRPC 2007 Annual Report may contact MRPC at 573-265-2993 or email info at meramecregion.org. The report will soon be available on line at www.meramecregion.org.
MRPC meets monthly, except in July, at its office, 4 Industrial Drive in St. James. The next meeting is at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 13. Meetings are open to the public.
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