Bringing it back: Commissioners to reinstate county's budget board
Jan. 3—A campaign promise made by two Cleveland County Commissioners to bring back the County Budget Board is on Tuesday's meeting agenda.
Commissioners, in a 2-1 vote, dissolved the board nearly two years ago. District 1 commissioner Rod Cleveland voted no while then District 3 commissioner Harold Haralson and District 2 commissioner Darry Stacy voted yes.
It's back on the agenda for the 1 p.m. meeting.
Cleveland and Haralson's election opponent, Rusty Grissom, both promised to reinstate it. Grissom defeated Haralson in the June primary and Democrat Mo Vaughn in the November general election. Vaugh also promised to bring back the board. Grissom will take office Tuesday.
The budget board was comprised of all eight county elected officials — the treasurer, assessor, sheriff, commissioners, court clerk, and the county clerk.
The decision meant that the budget would be decided by a three-member appointed Excise Board and finally the commissioners.
Critics agreed that eight eyes on each department's budget, subject to voter accountability, was better than three appointed officials.
Stacy and Haralson said at the time it would increase transparency and the board was an unnecessary duplication of the Excise Board.
The budget board was created under the Budget Adoption Act following a scandal in 1981 when more than 100 commissioners across Oklahoma were indicted or plead guilty to kickback schemes and other financial crimes.
The county operated a budget board for 34 years.
Cleveland County Treasurer Jim Reynolds, Assessor Douglas Warr, Court Clerk Marilyn Williams and County Clerk Tammy Belinson openly opposed Stacy and Haralson's decision during the meeting to dissolve it and in the days that followed.
The rift between those elected officials and the two commissioners drew bipartisan support at the time from people who are usually on the opposite end of the political aisle.
Dave Spaulding, chairman of the Cleveland County Republican Party, condemned it in support of known Democrats, University of Oklahoma professor Stephe Ellis and local activist Mary Francis.
"I am embarrassed and ashamed to have two commissioners who voted (yes) on this," Spaulding said to Haralson and Stacy during the Feb. 22 meeting. "When I and Dr. Ellis and Mary Francis agree on something it's a pretty big deal. We can't even agree on when it's raining outside, but I'm telling you right now: this is not right."
Excise board members — one resident from each district — are appointed by one vote each from the district court judiciary, the Oklahoma Tax Commission and the county commission. At the time, Excise Board members included now mayor Larry Heikkila, who resigned following his election, Sid Porter and Bonnie Green. Chuck Thompson replaced Heikkila on the board earlier this year.
