Erie Co. owes over $500,000 after ECGRA audit comes back clean
The audit scrutinized ECGRA's spending to ensure it was in line with the budget and approved by the board. It also reviewed the authority's grant-making processes, loan management, and compliance with Pennsylvania statutes. Despite the clean audit, Erie County is reported to owe ECGRA over $538,000 in under-distributed state funds.
'They found all of those things were completely in line with how we do things at ECGRA,' said Perry Wood, Executive Director of ECGRA.
Erie County Executive Brenton Davis expressed dissatisfaction with the audit's scope, stating, 'Wrongdoing, whether it was two days ago or 15 years ago, is still wrongdoing.'
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The audit process involved coordination with seven staff members from the Auditor General's office and took nearly a year to complete. Perry Wood described the process as exhaustive, saying it 'literally turned our organization inside out.'
Despite the audit's findings, Erie County Executive Brenton Davis has been vocal about his concerns, suggesting that the investigation should have been broader.
'Wrongdoing, whether it was two days ago or 15 years ago is still wrongdoing and it's a reason why we need to continue to look at all of the boards, authorities and commissions and where taxpayer money is being spent and how,' Davis said.
He has indicated that he does not plan to pay the amount specified in the audit report.
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County Council Member Rock Copeland questioned the actions of legislators who initially supported the audit of ECGRA. 'Are they going to call for the same kind of audit that council unanimously passed?' he asked.
Perry Wood criticized the ongoing scrutiny as a 'political witch hunt,' emphasizing that the audit was comprehensive and should be accepted as conclusive.
The audit's findings have not resolved the financial dispute between Erie County and ECGRA. As the situation unfolds, the authority may seek legal action to recover the owed funds, as suggested by Perry Wood's statement, 'Follow the report, or end up in court.'
All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by WJET/WFXP. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by WJET/WFXP staff before being published.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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