The Oklahoma County Clerk’s office is trying to send The Town of Luther some money. Trouble is, the Town first has to comply with the law and send in some paperwork on the Town Treasurer.
In a letter to Mayor Cecilia Taft, Town of Luther, dated in December 2016, the clerk’s office said it has made “several attempt to contact the Town Treasurer through email, mail and telephone in order to obtain a Treasurer’s certificate for your Town Treasurer. The Treasurer’s Certificate, SA&I Form 127 is required by statute … in order for the County Clerk to issue your monthly apportionment remittance.”
The letter goes on to say that due to the fact there is no current certificate on file at the county, the Clerk is holding a sum of $26,226.87 from as far back as August 2015.
The County Clerk’s office tells The Luther Register that the Town has indicated it is working on sending in the paperwork. Attempts for comment from the Luther mayor have not been answered. The Town actually has just one dedicated office employee who also serves as court clerk and juggles an enormity of duties.
Currently, the Town Treasurer is Kim Bourns. He was just appointed in October 2016, and was the third treasurer appointed that year after abrupt resignations from the previous Clerk/Treasurers. The board raised the pay to $200 a month before the October appointment.
The Town Clerk/Treasurer is an elected position, but the Town Board has appointed a succession of Clerk/Treasurers between elections. Former Clerk/Treasurer Donita Roby was sentenced a year ago on a blind guilty plea to embezzling money from the town. The Town is supposed to receive $200 a month from Roby, through the district attorney’s office, until the $48,000 is repaid.
The Clerk/Treasurer prepares meeting materials, records the meetings and prepares financial reports among other duties including being familiar with municipal and meeting laws, and communicating with the five trustees and town attorney. In October, Former Mayor Lea Ann Jackson had volunteered, for no pay, to serve as Treasurer, if the Town would separate the positions of Clerk and Treasurer through an ordinance.The Trustees did not consider the offer.
There is an election this spring for leadership on the Town Board. Filing is next week, Feb. 6 – 8, 2017, at the Oklahoma County Election board. On the ballot are four trustee positions, and the notorious Clerk/Treasurer position.
S0 d0 they have t0 find the paperw0rk f0r each individual h0lding the p0siti0n back t0 2015 0r will new paperw0rk f0r the current treasurer suffice?