Comptroller report shows county spent more than $130,000 on food charged to Federal COVID-19 fund

The Erie County Comptroller's Office report found that after reviewing receipts and invoices for food purchases since March first until July 29, the county had spent $131,966 on food expenses.

ALSO TONIGHT..A FOOD BILL IN ERIECOUNTY IS RAISING AFEW EYEBROWS ...130-THOUSANDDOLLARS WAS SPENTON FOOD FORCOUNTY EMPLOYEESWORKING DURING TCOVID-19 CRISIS..ALA ERRIBHI HASMORE ON THE BILL ATTHE CENTER OF THNEW FISCAL DEBATE...TRT = 1:SUPERS: LYNNEDIXON, ASSOCIATEDEPUTYCOMPTROLLER,ALA ERREBHI,@ALAERREBHITVCUTLINE:COMPTROLLERREPORT SHOWSCOUNTY SPENT MORETHAN $130,000 FOODOUTCUE: STANDARD.PKG:THE ERIE COUNTYCOMPTROLLER'SOFFICE REPORTLOOKED AT ARECEIPTSAND INVOICES FORFOOD PURCHASESSINCE MARCH FIRSTUNTIL JULY 29."WE THINK IT'SIMPORTANT TO BE ASTRANSPARENT AS WEPOSSIBLY CAN WITHTAXPAYERS, WITH THEPUBLIC SO THAT THEYKNOW HOW THESE$160 MILLION INFEDERAL COVIDFUNDS ARE BEINGSPENT.IT WAS THE ERIECOUNTY LEGISLATURETHAT REQUESTED ABREAKDOWN OF THEEXPENDITURES THATWERE BILLED BY THEPOLONCARZADMINISTRATION TOFEDERAL COVID FUND.THE REPORT SHOWSTHAT A LITTLE OVER$19,000 WAS SPENT ONFOOD DELIVERED TO AHOTEL RENTED BYERIE COUNTY TOHOUSE PEOPLE WHODO NOT HAVE A SAFEPLACE TO RECOVERFROM COVID-19."THAT SERVES AS ARECOVERY PLACE FORTHEM WHO ARERECOVERING FROMCOVID-19 BUT DON'THAVE TO BEHOSPITALIZED,"STANDUP: "THEREPORT ALSO FOUNDSTHAT THERE WEREFOOD PURCHASESTHAT DID NOT HAVEENOUGHDOCUMENTATION.

IFACT IT FOUND THATTHERE WAS NOTDOCUMENTATION FOR$22,000 IN FOODPURCHASES."THE MAJORITY OFTHE EXPENSES WERETO GO TO PAY FORMEALS AND FOOD FORERIE COUNTYEMPLOYEES, ANDTHERE'S SIGNIFICANDOCUMENTATIONMISSING,"THAT'S SIGNIFICANT INTHE EVENT THAT THEFEDERALGOVERNMENT WISHESTO DO AN AUDIT TOSEE HOW COVID-19FUNDS WERE SPENT.IN RESPONSE TOREPORT, COUNTYEXECUTIVE MARKPOLONCARZ TELLS7EWN IN PART THAT:"MANY DEDICATEDEMPLOYEESCONTRIBUTED TO ERIECOUNTY'S RESPONSETO THE GLOBALPANDEMIC, OFTENWORKING 16 TO 18HOUR DAYS TOPROTECT THEPUBLIC...AND DURINGTHESE LONG DAYSLUNCH AND DINNERWAS PROVIDED TOOUR DEDICATEDWORKFORCE.

IT ISDISAPPOINTING THATTHE COMPTROLLERHAS CHOSEN TOCRITICIZE THEFEEDING OF THE MANYHARD WORKINGEMPLOYEES WHSPENT MANY LONGHOURS WORKING TOPROTECT THE PUBLICAND SAVE LIVES."IN BUFFALO, ALAERREBHI, 7