DENVER More than two-and-a-half years after the passage of President Barack Obamas stimulus bill, several state agencies have not spent significant portions of the $1.7 billion Colorado received, and they run the risk of losing the money soon, state audits revealed Tuesday.
The audits also found problems with reporting of the number of jobs created by money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which Obama signed in Denver in early 2009.
The Governors Energy Office got $80 million to weatherize homes and buildings and another $49 million to offer rebates to homeowners who buy efficient appliances or make other upgrades. The auditors report found that about $42 million remains to be spent in the two programs, even though deadlines to spend the money are next spring.
GEO plans to apply for a deadline extension to spend about $8 million, and it will use the rest on time, said T.J. Deora, director of the office.
The Department of Education got $17 million to develop new ways to track student test scores throughout their school careers, but it has spent just $2.7 million so far. Department officials said they are on track to spend the money by the June 30, 2013, deadline, the auditors report said.
Several other agencies and the University of Colorado told auditors they are on track to spend their stimulus grants, even though they have used just a fraction of it so far.
The stimulus bill included unprecedented requirements for public reporting of how the vast sums were spent. But state auditors noticed problems with the way the federal and state governments calculated the number of jobs that were created.
They arent accurate. Theyre not necessarily comparable from period to period or agency to agency, said Sarah Aurich of the State Auditors Office.
As of September, Colorado had received $7.2 billion from the act, including $2 billion in tax cuts, credits or benefits.
Some 38 percent of Colorado government agencies share of the Recovery Act money went to transportation projects, and 15 percent went to weatherization and energy efficiency upgrades.
GEOs staff has ballooned since the stimulus bill passed, drawing criticism from Republican legislators. Deora said his office is already downsizing, with 36 current full-time equivalent jobs, down from 47 at its peak. He plans to reduce four more jobs in his office by next June.
Reach Joe Hanel at joeh@cortezjournal.com
