Economic development leaders are asking for significant increases in public funding despite not yet having spent $400,000 that they received during the last budget process.

City and county commissioners during their 2006 budget proceedings each agreed to provide $200,000 to establish a local bioscience initiative to attract high-tech companies.

The money – which was envisioned as an annual commitment by the two governments – was to be spent on financing laboratory space and the salary of a new executive responsible for overseeing the community’s bioscience development efforts.

Neither initiative, though, has happened.

“I have asked some questions about it,” Mayor Mike Amyx said. “I do get concerned when we fund something and haven’t seen any movement from the previous year. That gets my attention, especially in tight budget years.”

Lavern Squier, president and chief executive officer of the chamber, said the funding will soon start to pay off. He said Kansas University is in the process of filling a position that will work to commercialize bioscience research done at KU. A second position that will work out of the chamber offices to recruit new bioscience companies to town will be filled in late 2006 or early 2007, he said.

Squier said part of the reason the process has taken so long is because economic development leaders have been waiting to talk to KU’s new provost, who is expected to be a major player in any bioscience efforts.

The chamber is seeking the $400,000 in bioscience funding again this year, in addition to its requests for economic development marketing funds.