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The Oklahoma County Budget Board is currently discussing whether to move $36 million in CARES Act money to the Jail Trust
"For us to give all this money to the jail makes ZERO sense to me," says Commissioner Carrie Blumert.
"I don't even have words for it."
Calvey is arguing that we need to take care "of our core functions first" before taking on "new tasks." So we'd be "putting our own house in order" by doing this
Calvey: We shouldn't be "growing government based on one-time funds." Basically arguing that the relief funds should fund the jail, which needs money, before going to relief
Sorry, misidentified the sheriff's voice for some reason - the Treasurer is very much a "no." Tough watching this virtual with the masks!
Wow - jail trust official says they're in a "crisis mode" and they're very much opening themselves up to lawsuits with how things are over there because of COVID
Um y'all should prob watch this meeting
Treasurer Forrest Freeman says using the CARES money for this purpose is just asking for a lawsuit, basically. Calvey says he believes Treasury guidance includes "public safety"
Freeman: "I'm scared to death of the feds" in case they audit this, so maybe they'll come here and say "you idiots --" and then he cuts himself off.
"Man, this whole concept -- this whole COVID-19 -- has never happened in our lifetime, and I'm scared to death of it"
Classic - "What are we voting on???"
Whoa - that was fast
NEW: In 5-3 vote, Oklahoma County Budget Board agrees to transfer $36 million in CARES Act money to the Jail Trust.
Blumert, in tears: "This is crazy! We're throwing money around! 40-something million dollars and we're just pressing buttons! (...) This is so disrespectful to our citizens. I'm so ashamed that this is what's happening right now."
She leaves
She leaves
This is a surreal meeting. I haven't covered a municipal gov't meeting like this since moving to Oklahoma
WOW - Sheriff PD Taylor says, "just for the record, I want everyone to know I voted 'no' on Item 4. I'm assuming people that voted no won't have to go to the federal Bureau of Prisons."
Commissioner Brian Maughan says any insinuation that this wasn't well-thought-out is wrong, he's been thinking about this since we got the money. He says the jail needs help NOW because of spreading COVID and delayed jury trials.
Maughan, about money for the jail: "To do nothing would be negligible."
Anyway, here was the tally on Item 4:
Freeman no
Hooten yes
Maughan yes
Warren yes
Taylor no
Calvey yes
Blumert no
Morrison yes
Freeman no
Hooten yes
Maughan yes
Warren yes
Taylor no
Calvey yes
Blumert no
Morrison yes
And that's that, meeting adjourned
Let me point out - the Budget Board did not take public comment, I assume for the same reason the BOCC doesn't, which itself strains credulity
The way it's been explained to me is that they haven't figured out a secure way to take public comment virtually without allowing people outside the county or hackers to make comments since meetings are virtual these days. (1/2)
Except, um, this meeting was NOT virtual. The agenda said all but one member would appear at this meeting via video conference, but they were all there in-person. Also, every other body seems to have found a way to take public comment virtually! (2/2)
(Also I believe that was Mike Morrison, the Comptroller, who I guess was sitting in for County Assessor Larry Stein. Very odd that that's not noted on the agenda anywhere)
FYI this will now go to the BOCC, which has this item on their agenda for tomorrow. Obviously it has the votes to pass 2-1 since all three commissioners are on the Budget Board
