Monroe County looking info alternative funding for groups impacted by CRC investigation

MONROE COUNTY, N.Y. — New information Friday on the investigation into mismanagement of Monroe County COVID recovery funds by a local nonprofit: County Executive Adam Bello says his administration is exploring the possibility of alternative funding for community partners who are not getting funding because of all this.

Here’s the deal: Monroe County paid the Community Resource Center about $1 million to help disperse more than $7 million to other community groups. CRC discovered mismanagement through an internal audit and fired the employee responsible — and now all that money is on hold, leaving those community groups in desperate need.

“We serve, in this first year, literally thousands of people — face to face, on the streets, in the neighborhoods — and all of that will be impacted by this funding loss,” said Andy Carey, owner and co-founder of MC Collaborative.

The county is also working to see how the Department of Human Services and other county departments can step up to help people impacted.