California's inspector general says San Bernardino County wasn't eligible for more than $3 million in federal stimulus money and must now pay it back.
Laura Chick, who tracks stimulus funding, says an audit shows the county wasn't using enough of its existing resources to qualify for stimulus funds.
"San Bernardino County received a nice chunk of change, but they weren't eligible for it," Chick said on Wednesday.
County spokesman David Wert says any money given improperly was the state's responsibility.
"The state would need to answer whether funds were sent to the county prematurely," Wert told the San Bernardino County Sun.
Chick says stimulus money was supposed to go from the California Department of Social Services to counties that had used up existing funding for public assistance programs. The audit showed San Bernardino County was expected to spend more than $740,000 but only spent $434,000.
Chick says the $3.1 million should be returned and given to other counties.