TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — State auditors say millions of dollars intended for economic development in Kansas were spent on other projects.
In a report released Wednesday, auditors said during fiscal year 2018, only 18% of the money in the Economic Development Initiatives Fund was directed to programs that met requirements for receiving the funds.
The audit found nearly half of all spending from the fund $20.1 million didn’t go toward economic development.
The Wichita Eagle reports auditors also found no tracking of how the money was spent or whether it was used effectively.
Lawmakers who heard the audit said they were appalled and suggested the regulations controlling the fund should be overhauled.
The economic development fund was created in 1986 and is replenished each year with lottery and gaming revenue.
