Latest news with #ChrisAmason
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Cleveland County Sheriff says no layoffs needed despite lower budget approval
CLEVELAND COUNTY, Okla. (KFOR) – The Cleveland County Budget Board approved next year's fiscal budget on Thursday, and the main complaint came from the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office. 'I've got dedicated staff that we're going to make sure that the areas that we cut are not going to be personnel areas. Will there be services affected? Absolutely. But, it's not going to be the services that are going to affect public safety,' said Cleveland County Sheriff Chris Amason. The board ended up approving $11,418,384 from the General Fund, the Cleveland County Commission said that will be split between the Sheriff and the Detention Center. According to their numbers, the Sheriff was approved for $4,018,384 while he listed the needs to be $11,503,645.46. The commission approved $7,400,000 for the Detention Center, while the Sheriff had requested $14,814,813.22. 'Forcing me to spend every dime that I have coming in through appropriations, which is fine. You know, I don't mind spending that money. What I have a problem with is not having a reserve at the end of the year to carry over for expenses that come up,' said Sheriff Amason. It's no secret that there have been budgeting issues for several years now surrounding the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office (CCSO). State Auditor releases report on Cleveland County Sheriff's Office budget A state audit released earlier this year found that CCSO overspent a lot of money. It stated that over 300 times, CCSO may have violated purchasing laws. It reported that CCSO attended 24 out-of-state conferences, and that they used taxpayer dollars on high-priced meals, games, and DoorDash. It also reported that retroactive raises were given to 28 employees while facing payroll challenges, cutting detention staff by 45% in the process. 'That was over stuff that happened two years ago. And, you know, could we do things better? Absolutely. And we have changed procedures. We have made all of the corrections. And this current fiscal year is proof of that,' said Sheriff Amason. Last year, CCSO had to lay off dozens of employees after it was found that it didn't have the budget to pay them. 'We came in even after having to lay off 30 employees, we still came in under budget. So, just barely. But we did. You know, we've still got great employees that are out there providing the best service that they can to our public,' said Sheriff Amason. Looking to the future, having that $14 million or so. Are there going to be future layoffs with this amount of money? It feels similar to the situation y'all had last year? 'It is, but we have dedicated staff that we're going to make sure that the areas that we cut are not going to be personnel areas,' said Sheriff Amason. 'We're going to make sure that, you know, I've got employees here now that are doing the job of two or three people because of these budget cuts. They deserve to be compensated and to have proper staffing. So, you know, they're not having to carry this extra burden. I just want to thank my employees, I see you. I appreciate what you're doing and the dedication you're showing. I'm going to stand behind you and I'm not going to let you down,' said Sheriff Amason. The Cleveland County Commissioner and Chairman of the Cleveland County Budget Board, Rod Cleveland, provided the following statement: The Cleveland County Budget Board is funding all the essential services that keep our community safe and functioning. The approved budget covers all the core public safety needs of the Sheriff's Office and the Cleveland County Detention Center. In addition, we have allocated money through Building Maintenance and IT to go toward capital requests from the Sheriff's Office. The State Audit into the Sheriff's Office points to a history of 'poor budgetary practices.' We have a duty to our Cleveland County residents to safeguard taxpayer dollars and ensure that their money is being spent responsibly, so we allocated those funds to other departments while earmarking them for the Sheriff's capital projects. While we understand that tensions can run high during the budget process, the public needs to know our decisions are made with fiscal responsibility and the best interest of the citizens in mind. Cleveland County Commissioner and Chairman of the Cleveland County Budget Board, Rod Cleveland Approved Cleveland County Budget 2025 – 2026 Download Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
State Auditor releases report on Cleveland County Sheriff's Office budget
NORMAN, Okla. (KFOR) — On Thursday, the Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector released a special report detailing the findings from their audit of the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office after county commissioners accused the sheriff of mismanaging funds. Back in June 2024, Cleveland County Commissioners unanimously approved a transfer of funds to a 'taxpayer assisted bailout fund' to cover over $3 million in overspending by Sheriff Chris Amason. The CCSO then suddenly announced layoffs in September, losing 25 staff members as well as five open staff positions. The county later released payroll numbers from April 2020 to 2024, revealing an overall pay increase in many departments as well as an increase in staffing from an average 181 employees in 2020 to 223 employees in 2024. Sheriff's budget battle in Cleveland County gets heated These are some of the most notable findings in the special audit report released by State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd on Thursday: Failure to stay within budget and not properly ensuring funds are available for expenditures before making purchases for at least 41 expenditures totaling nearly $130,000 Improper controls over travel expenses, which include costs for 24 out-of-state training conferences in Fiscal Year 2024 totaling over $33,000 Turnover in administrative staff responsible for properly documenting financial matters The full audit report can be found here. Amason posted the following statement on social media on Thursday afternoon following the release of the audit report. This is not about numbers—it's about priorities. The repeated underfunding of the Sheriff's Office is not accidental. It reflects a pattern of strategic neglect disguised as budget management. While others played politics with public safety, this office continued doing the work the public expects and deserves. My office has always welcomed transparency. What we won't tolerate is being targeted through bureaucratic sleight of hand while the community's safety and the livelihoods of dedicated employees are placed at risk. The public deserves to know the truth—and I'm here to ensure they do. Cleveland County Sheriff Chris Amason A Cleveland County spokesperson sent a release to News 4 saying the Cleveland County Budget Board is expected to determine next steps in the coming days after they review the audit. Late Thursday, the District Attorney's office for Cleveland County said it is reviewing the State Auditor's Special Audit Report and its findings. The review is underway, and once that is complete, a decision will be made on how to proceed. PR-Audit-1Download Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
State audit: Cleveland County Sheriff's Office overspent by millions
NORMAN — The Cleveland County Sheriff's Office overspent its annual budget by about $4 million, a report from the state auditor has revealed. The long-awaited report, the second part of a special audit requested last year into Sheriff Chris Amason's office, shows that the law enforcement agency did not take steps to stay within the limits of the approved $18.4 million budget, according to the audit. The audit also showed that during the course of a year, sheriff's leadership attended 24 out-of-state training conferences, bought or leased 40 new vehicles, gave retroactive raises to 28 employees, and used taxpayer funds on "high-end meals, games, and DoorDash service," according to the report. This was despite payroll challenges and cuts to detention staff by 45%, as detailed in the audit. "The goal of the State Auditor and Inspector is to promote accountability and fiscal integrity in state and localgovernment," said State Auditor Cindy Byrd in a letter to Cleveland County commissioners the day the audit was released. "Maintaining our independence as we provide this service to the taxpayers of Oklahoma is ofutmost importance. We wish to take this opportunity to express our appreciation for the assistance and cooperation extended to our office during this engagement." In a news release, Storme Jones, director of communications for Cleveland County, said that budget board members would carefully review the report and determine what steps to take next in the coming days. Amason, in a statement posted to his office's Facebook page, said he appreciated Byrd's work "in producing a thorough and well-documented report" that he believes "affirms what we've long maintained — facts matter." "This balanced assessment brings needed clarity and allows us to close the door on speculation," Amason continued. "We welcome oversight from the State Auditor, because we stand on solid ground. Transparency isn't a challenge to this office — it's a standard we live by. The findings offer valuable clarity about the circumstances and decisions made, and I welcome the opportunity this report provides to reinforce public trust and move forward with purpose." The audit comes after nearly two years of tension between county commissioners and the sheriff, who publicly disagreed on who was to blame for overspending after commissioners diverted $3.2 million to the sheriff's office in June 2024 in order to pay outstanding bills, payroll and other operational expenses. (This story has been updated to add new information.) This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Cleveland County OK sheriff overspent budget by $4 million, audit finds
