SYRACUSE -- The county comptroller issued an audit Tuesday morning that is critical of county and Onondaga Community College spending on Jazz Fest.

County Executive Joanie Mahoney fired back saying, "I think Bob might have been hoping to find something on the local level to sink his teeth into but he's picked the wrong issue because this is actually good news for the community."

Mahoney said Comptroller Robert Antonacci is mistaken in some of the funding he labeled taxpayer dollars. She says the Jazz Fest brings so much to OCC in the form of exposure and classes.

The staff at OCC say the money it gives to Jazz Fest does not come out of the operating budget.

Jazz Fest organizer, Frank Malfitano does not support the idea of charging admission to Jazz Fest. He said, "When you're a paid admission festival a few things happen. People don't come, sponsors don't show up, and you don't get that regional draw."

According to the report, the county gave the Jazz Fest $95,778 in 2009 and $73,882 for this year's festival, which will take place the weekend of June 25th. The report states that the Jazz Fest is a well-run event, but suggests ways for the county to earn back some of the money given to the festival. It suggests an admission fee (currently there is none), keeping the festival to two days instead of three and somehow tracking the festival's economic impact on the county.

The report also suggests, among other things,  borrowing license plate readers from the Sheriff's Department in order to ascertain where Jazz Fest patrons are driving in from.

CNY Central has calls out to Jazz Fest organizer Frank Malfitano and County Executive Joanie Mahoney to get their reaction to the audit.

Note: CNY Central is a media sponsor of the 2010 Syracuse Jazz Fest.

Read more on this story from the Syracuse Post-Standard.