ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — The Neighborhood Collaborative Project issued a statement Monday morning on the temporary suspension of funding for the Community Resource Collaborative.
Monroe County Executive Adam Bello announced last week that ARPA funds will not be delivered to CRC for the time being. The CRC told Bello that this was due to “fiscal mismanagement” that led to the dismissal of an employee.
As a forensic audit began, the Neighborhood Collaborative Project, a local organization that partners with many community projects, said they would work with the county to review all financial management procedures.
“We are disappointed, frustrated, and troubled by the negative impact of these
actions on our partners and those they serve. We are committed to transparency and
accountability and ensuring that this vital work continues.”
Meanwhile, County Legislator Rachel Barnhart wrote a letter to US Attorney Trini Ross calling for an investigation to find out if federal COVID funding is being spent appropriately and if the Bello Administration is handling funds correctly.
“One fundamental question is why and how CRC was chosen to administer a $7.2 million, four year American Rescue Plan Act (hereinafter ARPA) grant. CRC completed registration with New York State as a non-for-profit agency in November 2022, and recorded less than $50,000 in
revenue that year“
The Community Resource Collaborative was one of 40 local organizations to receive part of a $144 million funding from ARPA. The organization received $7.1 million towards creating services and neighborhood outreach programs.
