Roanoke Rapids -- An auditor for Roanoke Rapids scolded city officials Tuesday night for weak oversight of city funds that were used by entertainer Randy Parton.

"There was a lack of accountability for the first advance," Greg Redman of the firm Flowers, Stanley & Redman of Tarboro told council members before a packed audience. "During the initial stage of the project, the city did not exercise proper internal control procedures."

A $3 million fund was set up for Parton to get the theater that once carried his name going. Some of the first $254,000 given to Parton was spent on alcohol and trips to Las Vegas.

Phyllis Lee, the city manager, said that the initial agreement with Parton did not provide for detailed documentation. Leaders didn't get detailed records on that first draw until October -- three months after the theater opened.

City officials had planned a large entertainment district and borrowed $21.5 million to build The Randy Parton Theatre as its centerpiece. The theater opened in July but fell short of attendance goals. Disappointed, officials renegotiated Parton's contract and hired another management company. Parton's annual salary was cut to $250,000 for five years.

Two weeks later, the city kicked him out of the theater, setting up a fight over money.

jonathan.cox@newsobserver.com or (919) 836-4948