The Logan County Board of County Commissioners displayed their frustration with a state government agency after an audit showed a $5,000 donation was made for an anniversary party.
On Monday morning during commissioner comments, District 3 County Commissioner showed frustration toward Oklahoma Cooperative Circuit Engineering Districts Board (OCCEDB) after a 2016 audit showed a number of questionable purchases in the monthly reimbursement records.
The topic of this article begins at the 19:19 portion of the video below.
The Circuit Engineering Districts (CED) serves as the middle government layer between the counties and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation.
The CED allows counties to come together as a cooperative and provide efficiencies that are not available to an individual county. The Districts act as a political subdivision of the counties. In total there are eight divisions. Each division’s chairman serves on the OCCEDB.
According to the audit from the State Auditor and Inspector’s office, the OCEDB donated $5,000 to ODOT for their 100 year anniversary.
“I noticed they donated $5,000 to ODOT for a party,” Piearcy said. “I was thinking that really ought to be criminal spending our money like that.”
District 1 Commissioner Marven Goodman called the donation a “party fund.”
Piearcy continued, “If you think about the road situation, $5,000 aint nothing, but it would have been something to go toward the road funds. I don’t think we needed a $5,000 party. No telling what ODOT put in with that $5,000.”
The audit goes on to read receipts were provided for 9 purchases, totaling $332.87, detailed receipts were provided for 29 receipts totaling $3,264.49, 11 meal receipts including notations of the purpose of business for the meal and/or the names of the parties involved were provided totaling $914.76, three lodging receipts including notations of the purpose of business for travel and/or names of parties involved were provided totaling $485.08 and 8 additional meal receipts and one additional lodging receipt totaling $206.14 were missing altogether and did not reflect the purpose of business or who was involved.
“They’re going to eat regardless. They ought to pay for their own damn meal,” Piearcy said.
Goodman was disturbed to find out spouses received alcoholic beverages and meal from taxpayer’s money.
According the auditor’s report, one newly provided receipt for $273.21 at Saltgrass Steak House raised further questions. The receipt included purchases of alcoholic drinks and meals for some individuals’ spouses; while OCCEDB appears to have reimbursed Association of County Commissioners of Oklahoma for only a portion of the meal, limited legibility of the receipt makes it difficult to determine how the cost was split.
“We would not be able to do that. Legally, we cannot do that. Morally, we would not ever do that,” Goodman said.
The audit went on to find other purchases that some citizens may find questionable given the limited purpose and authority of OCCEDB and the fact that public funds were expended. The finding, included $691.26 in awards and prizes (knives, jewelry), retreat supplies and gift cards totaling $522.20 and beer purchased on two meal reimbursement receipts totaling $16.56
The report says in making and approving these types of questionable expenditures, OCCEDB risks abusing or appearing to abuse taxpayer dollars, and eroding public trust in the Board and the CEDs involved. Due to the volume of questionable expenditures, it appears the entity has not only deviated from their mission but could potentially jeopardize its ability to satisfy that mission.
Goodman says at the next CED meeting he intends to talk about the auditor’s findings.
To view the entire audit click here.
They’ll get over it in about three days and forget once again about fixing the death trap roads we have here in Logan County.