Decision on Cordell audit could take time

Details

Published on Thursday, 16 February 2012 13:24

City council could ask or the public could petition

Dale Denwalt
Daily Elk Citian

The decision of whether to call for an audit in Cordell will have to wait on a report from the state auditor's office.

State Auditor and Inspector Gary Jones was in Cordell last week speaking to members of that community about their concerns. Jones was invited by Cordell Mayor Alex Damon.

A furor erupted in January after three of the city's top officials resigned when the mayor discovered they had not been paying their utilities on time and had removed themselves from the cut-off list.

GRIPES, QUESTIONS

During the meeting with Jones, the Cordell residents who attended "aired a lot of gripes and asked a lot of questions," the Clinton Daily News described.

Jones, who was joined by an aide, said his staff would evaluate the scope of the audit and let the council know approximately how much it would cost. An initial estimate was pegged at about $70,000.

The auditor's office would seek payments in increments as the audit is being completed, Jones said. The agency bills about $50 per hour, and ultimately charges about $5,000 per week for two auditors and a supervisor.

STARTING AUDIT

A city has two options if an audit is wanted. The city government could officially request one, or a group of citizens could file a petition to start an audit. Citizens in Elk City are collecting signatures now for a state audit, and have until the end of February to get 613 registered voters to sign on.

An organizer with the audit petition said Thursday that a group of about 25 volunteers have collected about 500 signatures and expects to surpass the goal before the deadline.

"The neighborhoods we haven't hit yet can expect to be hit in the next week or so," said Dora Martindale. "Everybody is very positive; so far, so good."

When a petition for an audit is presented, the State Election Board would verify whether the signatures belonged to registered voters. The identities of who signed the petition would remain secret unless a court ordered them to become public.

CRITICS

During the Cordell meeting with Jones, which lasted more than an hour and a half, about 50 people were in attendance.

Many of the criticisms were leveled at Mayor Alex Damon, according to a report by the Clinton Daily News.

One resident who spoke at the meeting claimed more than just the police chief, city clerk and city treasurer had manipulated their utility bills, but did not provide evidence. Another resident said the rumors have to stop.

"The best way to control rumors is a presentation of facts," Jones told the Cordell audience.

However, he said it would not be prudent to put out "facts" until they're available. The auditor's report on the meeting in Cordell is expected no later than early March.

NOT ALONE

Elk City and Cordell are not the only towns facing possible audits by the state auditor and inspector. Local media reports have said the citizens of Miami, Okla., in the far northeastern part of the state, have collected 1,000 signatures - substantially more than needed - to get Jone's auditors to investigate whether the city's government failed to comply with various regulations and practices.

Citizens in the Tulsa suburb of Glenpool are also circulating a petition to begin an audit.

An audit petition in Bartlesville was dropped in December when citizens gathered only 300 out of the 2,500 needed.