As the saying goes: In comedy, timing is everything. The same is true in many other aspects of life, even in local governance.

The Colquitt County Board of Commissioners is ironing out details of its Fiscal Year 2023-24 budget. Approval is expected June 20 and the budget will take effect July 1.

The budget funds not only county departments but also agencies that contract with the county for services. It does not include funds for the Moultrie-Colquitt County Development Authority or Parks and Recreation Authority, which each levy their own taxes.

But the county government does have some influence over the authorities’ tax rates, so with commissioners’ minds on the county budget, the question of the Development Authority’s funding came up last week. Commissioners asked a representative to tell them what the authority has been up to — because they haven’t seen many results for the money that taxpayers send to the DA each year.

The commissioners’ question is vital. The Development Authority’s last big win was Sanderson Farms, which opened in 2006. Taxpayers are right to wonder, “What have you done for me lately?”

But the commissioners’ timing meant they didn’t get a good answer.

Barbara Grogan, director of the Development Authority since 2019, resigned in August to take a job in private industry. She stayed available to assist for a few months as the search for her replacement began, but the job was completely vacant from late 2022 until March, when Laura Beth Tucker stepped in as interim director. Interviews for a permanent director are about to begin; if all goes well, there may be an announcement in late June or early July, Tucker told commissioners Thursday.

In her report, Tucker said she’s been working four solid prospects that, if all come to fruition, would mean 355 new jobs. She didn’t say if any of those four were new inquiries or if they were projects Grogan started but didn’t finish before she left.

In any case, Tucker has limited knowledge of what the Development Authority did prior to her arrival, and so will whoever takes the job full-time. There will be a learning curve.

But questions about the authority’s return on investment will come up again. Hopefully when they do the authority will have some successes to talk about.