An audit by the State Auditor and Inspector’s office requested by the city council last year over pickup purchases may not move forward, but changes could be made with ordinances the Piedmont City Council voted Friday.
The councilmembers agreed in a special meeting Friday to pay a bill from December from the state auditor’s office, but may not to move forward with the complete audit requested over the purchase of two pickups last year.
The council decided in a special meeting Friday to discuss the bill for the legal service from the state.
The council in March approved the request for the audit from Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector’s office.
In March, questions serviced about the city’s purchase of a $25,000 pickup and a $33,000 pickup, both used by the Piedmont building inspector and public works department surfaced and an audit was requested.
Councilman Kevan Blasdel told members in the special meeting Friday that he thought since people of Piedmont requested the audit he thinks they still want to see it completed. Councilman Jack Jackson said he wanted to see the bill for legal expenses paid and further work on an audit dropped.
Blasdel said residents attended meeting requesting the audit.
“That is what people expect us to do,” Blasdel said.
The amount approved to be paid to the state for the first bill for the audit from work in December that was performed is for $2,925.
An engagement letter from the state auditor was received in January, Mayabb said. The cost for a complete audit would have been $5,000 to $10,000.
City Manager Jason Orr said if the city council does not want to move forward with the audit they could not except the engagement letter.
“Personally, you know I understand why a handful of people want to go after the city on this, but my opinion is why spend $5,000 to $10,000 to state the facts. Because everybody knows the facts. There was no kind of embezzlement. There was no kind of lying or dishonesty. They only thing we did was the same thing we’ve done for the past decade,” Orr said.
He said city ordinances would need to be addressed for future changes to the way the city makes purchases over $10,000. The pickups were purchases without competitive bidding.
“That’s my opinion that it should be rescinded and also I would like for the council to give the city staff the direction to work with our accounting firm to modernize the finance codes.”
Mayabb said he did not think requiring competitive bidding on purchases of $10,000 or more is too low.
“I don’t think it is that low,” Mayabb said.
“I’m to the point where you know what if, we are going to try to get the trust of the citizens on board to help us try to pass a bond and help us try to pass a road tax then maybe we have to come in here and make it $1,000, everything that is $1,000 has to be discussed,” Mayabb said.
Approving the payment to the state auditor and to revise the city ordinance on purchases were councilmembers Austin Redus, Mayor Kurt Mayabb, Blasdel and Jackson.
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