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Helm asks for campaign guidelines(Claremore Daily Progress, Okla. Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Jul. 8--County commissioners addressed a short agenda Monday. The meeting was their first since the end of the County's fiscal year last week. No purchase orders were signed for payment, but an outdated computer to be junked by District 2 became the impetus for clarification of state statutes governing the disposal of county equipment. Commissioner Mike Helm presented a letter from Assistant District Attorney Barry Farbro on campaign guidelines. Helm is running for reelection this year and asked Farbro for clarification on equipment disposal. Helm said he previously junked an old computer to be sold at auction in February. The computer did not sell. When Helm requested the item be listed for disposal on Monday's county agenda, County Clerk Peggy Armstrong declined, believing it was against state law. Farbro's opinion indicates that items can be disposed of as long as those items are not designated as surplus and transferred to another "political subdivision of the state." State guidelines say items may not be gifted "thirty (30) days prior to the filing period for any election..." or until one day after the commissioner is sworn into office. Farbro said he believes the law is to prevent commissioners from pandering to a municipality or other "political subdivision" during campaign time. Farbro's legal opinion is based on his reading of Title 19 of the Oklahoma Statutes, Sections 421-421.2. "Therefore, it is my opinion that a county commissioner who is seeking reelection may dispose in the normal course of business any tools, apparatus, machinery, and equipment belonging to the county or leased or otherwise let to it or any department thereof ...," wrote Farbro. Other business for commissioners usually includes the weekly signing of 200-400 purchase orders to be paid. At this first meeting of the new fiscal year, no POs had been generated for signature. Armstrong said this lack of new POs is routine at the first of the fiscal year. Last week, the Excise Board approved temporary appropriations while final figures on the new County budget are being prepared. Six blanket purchase orders for regular expenses in various departments were approved. These routine POs encumber money for predictable charges such as food expenses for jail inmates or fuel for county vehicles. Blanket POs approved this week were for the Health Department to Claremore Physicians, LLC for tuberculosis x-rays $400; Emergency Management Services to Froman Fuel $400; District 3 to R&S Auto Parts of Claremore $750; District 2 to Morrow Mechanical $6,000; Sheriff's General to Froman Oil $4,500, Sheriff's Jail to Froman Oil $450. Commissioners acknowledged a FEMA reimbursement check for District 2 for $163,394 with $81,370 to be deposited in D1's one-cent account. District 2 had checks come in from Acme Brick Company for Road Repair, $3,000 and from Sligar Auction Service for $296, $9, and $28. In other business Commissioners approved: -- acceptance of Anderson Road east of Claremore by Highway 20 into the County maintenance system -- utility permits for Oklahoma Natural Gas Company for boring at EW 590 and NS 4190 in D3 and to United Producers, Inc. for boring at NS 4102 and NS 4110 in D2 -- salary claim by Scott Eaton $1,894 -- Detention Services agreement with Community Works (Cleveland County) -- Community Development Block Grant Monthly Expenditure Report for June regarding Newport Steel project at Port of Catoosa $7,764 -- Cooperative Agreement for new fiscal year with U.S. Department of Agriculture, APHIS-Wildlife Services for services by state trapper Mike Reed, $2,400 For more stories, visit http://www.claremoreprogress.com/. Copyright (c) 2008, Claremore Daily Progress, Okla. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |