By Maria Hickey, KWMU
St. Louis – The State Auditor says some dollars meant for highways are still being spent on other projects.
Claire McCaskill says her office told the Missouri Highway Patrol in 2001 to keep better track of its spending and make sure highway funds were only spent on highway-related projects.
In the latest audit of the department, McCaskill says it has done a better job of tracking expenditures, but is still spending highway funds on un-related work like criminal investigations.
McCaskill says it's a matter of trust with voters.
"We have maintained and are trying to convince the voters that we're going to use highway funds to build highways or to maintain the safety of our highways and I think it's important that we make good on that pledge," McCaskill said.
McCaskill says that's why the audit stresses the Highway Patrol needs to ask the state legislature for the general funds needed to cover activities not related to highways.