NC state treasurer announces discovery of $170 million in unspent taxpayer money

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — $170 million in unspent taxpayer money in North Carolina has been discovered, the Department of the State Treasurer said Thursday.

According to his department, State Treasurer Brad Briner found the unspent and unallocated funds during a review of North Carolina’s accounts.

The state treasury department said the $170 million may only be used towards refunding debt and funding capital projects approved by the North Carolina General Assembly. They may also be used towards voter-approved projects in certain instances.

“The most important part of the treasurer’s job is to review and maintain the finances of North Carolina,” Briner said in a statement. “Through our review, we found $170 million of cash that has been sitting idle in the state’s accounts for years.

“That money can be put to good use, and we intend to do exactly that [by] reducing our outstanding debt to improve the fiscal health of the state,” Briner continued in his statement. “Thank you to our State and Local Government Finance Division team and particularly to Jeff Poley for their important roles in finding these assets.”