BOULDER, Colo. (AP) - The four University of Colorado campuses spent more than $508,000 at liquor establishments and on related supplies during the last five years, a sum that an official in the State Auditor's Office said was beyond accepted practices for a public agency, a newspaper reported Saturday.
The state's flagship university outspent Colorado State University in Fort Collins and Greeley's University of Northern Colorado, according to an analysis of university records by the Rocky Mountain News. CSU spent $25,380 during the past four fiscal years, while UNC spent $1,771 on alcohol last year.
The liquor tab also differed from similar spending at the University of Nebraska, the University of Oklahoma and the University of Texas -- fellow Big 12 schools where officials said policies prohibit the use of "public money" to buy alcohol.
It was unclear how much of CU's $508,608 was spent on cups, ice and other supplies, and the total does not include alcohol purchased through hotels, bars, caterers and restaurants, the News found. About $13,000 of the total was funded through taxpayer money, university controller Mary Catherine Gaisbauer said.
State Auditor Joanne Hill is auditing university spending. An assistant to Hill said the liquor spending fell outside accepted practices for Colorado public agencies, and could widen the scope of the audit.
CU officials defended the tab, saying the spending was a small fraction of the school's expenditures, which were more than $1.62 billion in fiscal year 2004.
"The university, first of all, serves alcohol at its events to adults," university spokesman Ray Gomez said. "A large number of the events are donor and fund-raising events where this is expected."
At least some of the money used to purchase alcohol was from donations to the CU Foundation, the private fund-raising arm of the university, Gomez said. Outside parties also sometimes reimbursed the school for liquor purchases.
About two-thirds of the money was spent at a Liquor Mart store in Boulder partially owned by former CU Athletic Director Dick Tharp, who resigned under pressure in December. Gomez said the store had good prices, would deliver and could work with the university's purchasing system.
Spending at the store was not enough to trigger a university policy that examines possible conflicts of interest when school officials have a financial interest in a company doing business with the university.
University President Betsy Hoffman declined comment on the alcohol spending, while CU Board of Regents Chairman Jerry Rutledge said, "What's the big deal?" during a brief conversation with the News.
Former Regent Jim Martin, who decided not to run for re-election in November, said the university should take a close look at policies about serving alcohol at school functions.
"People need to know how to have a good time without alcohol, and in tight budgetary times we don't have the money for that kind of entertainment expense. As public servants we've got to walk our talk. You can't be living life in a double standard," Martin said.
