As authorities investigate the alleged embezzlement of approximately $1.5 million in taxpayer funds from the Fresno Arts Council, many in the arts community are asking who should be held accountable.
City officials are pointing fingers at the Fresno Arts Council, but some in the arts community say the city also shares in the blame. Some say the city didn’t have enough safeguards and oversight in place when it hired the arts nonprofit to administer the annual multi-million-dollar “Expanded Access to Arts and Culture” grant program funded by Measure P.
Several impacted grantees aired their grievances during an hours-long meeting of the Fresno Parks, Recreation and Arts Commission (PRAC) on Monday night — the first monthly meeting since news broke of the alleged embezzlement. The PRAC is an independent recommendation and oversight body made up of community members to ensure Measure P expenditures are consistent with the measure’s intended goals…