Supervisors ask for audit of Crossroads

Published 6:00 am Friday, June 11, 2021

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The Prince Edward County Board of Supervisors is encouraging counties utilizing Crossroad Community Services to ask for a forensic audit of the organization and said it would withhold funding from the organization until such an audit was agreed to.

The board unanimously passed a resolution during its Tuesday, June 8, meeting asking the Crossroads Board of Directors to conduct a detailed audit of the organization’s finances for the past three fiscal years.

“There have been a number of concerns raised by Crossroads CSB board members, members of the various board of supervisors, current and former staff members of Crossroads and members of the general public regarding the expenditure/misuse of public funds and other management issues,” the resolution read.

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The Crossroads Board of Directors recently made a leadership change voting to remove Dr. Susan Baker from her position after six years serving as executive director of the organization.

County Administrator Doug Stanley said the board of supervisors in Cumberland, Buckingham, Charlotte and Nottoway counties are considering the same resolution to request the forensic audit.

Cumberland County unanimously passed a similar resolution calling for an audit of the organization Tuesday, June 8, as well. Cumberland also agreed to withhold funding from Crossroads unless an audit was conducted. Buckingham County will consider the issue at its Monday, June 14, meeting.

“I think at least a majority of the localities served by Crossroads are feeling the same thing,” he said. “That we need a clean slate with a new director to come in. It would be good to have the issues that have been raised looked at by a professional who does this for a living.”

The Prince Edward Board of Supervisors originally threatened to withhold its $60,000 in funding from Crossroads in April after questions concerning the bylaws of the Crossroads board and property management issues by the organization came to light. Baker attended a meeting of the Board of Supervisors answering almost an hour of questions. She was removed from her position less than a month later.