Lawmakers question WestMEC sponsorship with Phoenix Raceway

A state audit questions the value and legality of the Western Maricopa Education Center’s sponsorship with the Phoenix Raceway in Avondale.

WestMEC is an education district that trains students in career and technical skills. It was the subject of a somewhat unfavorable state audit and review by a legislative panel on Monday.

The district spent $155,000 on the raceway sponsorship in 2024, ostensibly to give students a chance to work in their fields of study.

However, the audit found most students worked for free on projects outside of their programs, like collecting tickets and putting up signs.

Sen. Mark Finchem (R-Prescott) called it “outrageous.”

“I hope that the organization has taken some serious steps to never let this happen again, because I’ll tell ya, if you’ve got a bond issue going on right now and there’s people that are paying attention to this hearing, that bond issue might as well go down in flames,” Finchem told WestMEC representatives.

A report by the state auditor general noted that the sponsorship may have violated the constitutional gift clause. District representatives said the raceway sponsorship has expired.

The audit also found WestMEC spent thousands of dollars on other kinds of food and entertainment for staff, including tickets to golf tournaments.

In November, voters approved a $415 million bond to expand WestMEC.

Ryan French, WestMEC assistant superintendent of business and operations, told lawmakers he believes students benefitted from the partnership, but the district agreed to implement the audit’s recommendations.