Gaffney Seeks Audit of Mosaic Cultural Complex Following GoLocalWorcester Story

Thursday, July 02, 2015

GoLocalWorcester News Team

City Councilor Michael Gaffney

On Wednesday, GoLocalWorcester reported on Mosaic Cultural Complex - the organization behind January's Kelley Square Black Lives Matter protest. GoLocal reported that Mosaic accepted more than $50,000 in grant money from the Worcester's Division of Public Health through state funds from the Prevention and Wellness Trust Fund.

Following the report, City Councilor and mayoral candidate Michael Gaffney filed an item for the next City Council agenda.

On his Facebook page, Gaffney writes, "As a result of this article I filed the following item for the next council agenda: Request an audit of the grants and other monies received by the Mosaic Cultural Complex and all documentation relative to the services the Mosaic Cultural Complex provides, to include, but not limited to documentation of the services that are supposed to be provided pursuant to the grant from the Prevention and Wellness Trust Fund for the past five years. Said audit to include a review of the Mosaic Cultural Complex’s legal status as a non-profit or otherwise. And said documentation to include the lease information for the city property being occupied by the Mosaic Cultural Complex."

As GoLocalWorcester reported, received $52,000 from the City between two payments - the first in November 2014 and more recently, on June 29, the City wrote a check for $17,500 to the organization.

According to the City of Worcester, "The check referenced is a payment of state funds for services rendered under the Prevention and Wellness Trust Fund."

GoLocalWorcester inquired as to what services were rendered by Mosaic that accounted for $52,000. "Mosaic Cultural Complex, as one of the 11 partners in this state grant, participates in the hypertension intervention by providing chronic disease self-management program classes, as well as self-monitoring blood pressure education through referrals from clinical partners," City Communications Specialist John Hill told GoLocalWorcester.

There is no specific mention of these services on the Mosaic Cultural Complex website, there is no contact information on the site, no meeting times, and no schedule of events.

GoLocalWorcester has submitted a request for all files and documentation relating to the grants received by Mosaic from the city. According to the City of Worcester, that information will be provided within a few weeks. Stay with GoLocalWorcester for more information as it becomes available.