So the question is where is the money going?
The red flags are being raised concerning the books of the Advisory Council to the 48th and Woodland Recreation Center.
The council and others like it across the city raise funds and collect fees for use of the centers then disburse the money for programs.
The money is a vital supplement to city budgets.
A review by community leaders of the council's books have turned up blank checks with signatures on them and a system almost entirely based in cash with little accounting for the money's use.
In March, Advisory Council Treasurer John Ross apparently wrote a check for $100 to cash on March 24th. The problem is he died five days earlier.
"Is this appropriate? Absolutely not," said Recreation Commissioner Susan Slawson.
Slawson has launched an investigation into the Advisory Council's financial affairs. She says it appears Ross signed the blank checks as he grew gravely ill.
"What he wanted to do was sign off on some checks to make sure that they were able to take care of whatever business they needed to take care of for the kids," said Slawson.
When asked why someone else on the Advisory Council didn't sign off on the checks, Slawson said, "That's what we are looking into now. He's passed on so we can't get a definite answer."
According to the recreation department's own Advisory Council Manual, "The checking account must be a two signature-required account...At no time shall any checks be made to cash."
The center is run by Narie Grayson.
Action News did approached her for comment, but she said, "You can't talk to me at all."
We also wanted to ask her about records that reveal the center and Grayson received almost 30 cash receipts in just the past several months, but bank statements show not one was deposited into the account.
"Should this have been done? Absolutely not," said Slawson. "We're looking into it and making sure this doesn't happen again."
Slawson says she hasn't found evidence of criminal activity by anyone, but the investigation continues.
