Jimmie Bo Horne, a promoter who booked acts for Deerfield Beach's city festivals over the past decade, has been contacted by a forensic auditor seeking records of how city money was handled for that event.
"Any information I provide to (the investigator, Michael Kessler) will be done for the integrity of my name," says Horne. But the Riviera Beach-based promoter stopped short of saying that he would provide all the records that Kessler requested. "I can't answer that because you're not an investigator," says Horne.
I asked Horne why in 2007 the city made payments to "Jimmie Bo Horne DBA Joy Productions," rather than his company, Joy Productions. He said that it's because at the time, the city did not have his employment identification number.
"The city said 'We know him as Jimmie Bo Horne; he told us he had a DBA account and it was no problem,'" recalls Horne, who adds that he eventually made the city aware of his corporation and that subsequent payments were made to Joy Productions.
I've called Deerfield Beach to confirm this. When City Hall gets back to me, I'll update this post.
"Everything my company does is correct and above board," says Horne. He points out that the same commission that this past year ordered a forensic auditor to review spending on festivals was aware of the contracts through which he booked musical acts.
Horne has done work for the Mango Festival, which is a particular area of taxpayer concern, considering how much the city has spent on it, compared to the small attendance figures reported by organizers.
Activist blogger Chaz Stevens has more detail on Horne's dealings with the city, here.
