Report shows taxpayers to pay over a billion dollars for broadband project

A report released Thursday finds Kentucky taxpayers will have to pay 1.5 billion dollars for the state’s broadband project.

That is far more than the public was led to believe originally.

The project known as Kentucky Wired was announced in 2014 by the Beshear administration to allow for broadband internet service to reach across the state.

Under the original proposal, Kentuckians would only be responsible for 30 million dollars of the project but on Thursday, state auditor Mike Harmon revealed results of an investigation that shows as it stands now, taxpayers will now be responsible for 1.5 billion dollars over the next 30 years.

The project is now almost 100 million dollars over budget and the estimated completion date has passed, plus taxpayers have yet to reap any benefits.