Baltimore comptroller upset over no show from youth fund officials
There is new controversy about the $25 million Baltimore Children and Youth Fund.
Baltimore City Comptroller Joan Pratt criticized the manager of the fund, Associated Black Charities, for failing to appear at Wednesday's Board of Estimates meeting at City Hall.
"Its failure to respond to the board as requested is unacceptable," Pratt said.
It all has to do with an audit of the Children and Youth Fund that was ordered because the charity bought books from former Mayor Catherine Pugh. The audit found no political influence, but it did question the lack of documentation to support some of the grants awarded from the Children and Youth Fund.
The audit questioned seven grant awards, finding organizations received money even though they were scored lower than other applicants.
The audit says, "There was not sufficient documentation to support the group's final grant award decision."
Two weeks ago, representatives of the Children and Youth Fund told the Board of Estimates there were notes to justify the grant decisions. They told Pratt they would return Wednesday.
"I made a request that they be here, and it is just unacceptable that they did not appear before the board because they said they would be here with the documentation," Pratt said.
A representative of the Children and Youth Fund sent a statement to the 11 News I-Team, saying, "The audit is complete. The mayor and the City Council president have said they are comfortable with the audit and want to move on."
The pressing concern about the fund is when the next round of money will go out. As the I-Team reported Tuesday, some programs serving youth are faced with the possibility of closure because the money they received from the fund last year is running out.
"We have to make sure every I is dotted and T is crossed, but we also have to make sure these organizations are able to continue their great work. We are pushing for them to do that," Baltimore City Council President Brandon Scott said.
A spokesman for Mayor Jack Young accused Pratt of lying about whether documentation had been provided. Pratt's response was that she "has a problem being called a liar for just doing her job."
