New County Commissioners, County Assessor ready to hit ground running
County Commissioners approve new mapping system for County Assessor’s office By David Seeley PDN Editor
All before 8:20 a.m. Tuesday, the two new LeFlore County Commissioners — District 1’s Vallard Campbell III and District 3’s Jamie Oliver — along with new LeFlore County Assessor Deana Morrison were sworn into office, the new commissioners by Judge Marion Fry and Morrison by Judge Jon Sullivan. Also sworn in Tuesday morning was new LeFlore County District Attorney Kevin Merritt and Assistant D.A. Sarah Jordan.
“I’m excited,” Oliver said. “I’m been pretty anxious to jump in and get started, and start making some changes to try to better the county. I’m pretty excited about finally being able to sit down and officially do that.”
“I’m really excited,” Campbell III said. “I’m ready to get going and see if we can make a difference. All of us (County Commissioners) have some good ideas. Hopefully, we can get together on them and make them work.”
“I’m very excited,” Morrison said. “I’ve been able to work in the office since September. It’s been a good experience. I’ve learned a lot — there’s a lot in that office goes with it (County Assessor’s job), all kinds off tests and going to meetings. Our office will be a good team. They know what they’re doing. Everybody is working together and coming together. Whatever you need from us, we’re there to help.”
The two new County Commissioners and new County Assessor dove right in as the board approved Morrison’s request to begin a new mapping system for the Assessor’s office as a four-year contract with Data Scout was approved, which will begin Jan. 15.
Morrison said the mapping aspect of the four-year deal will cost $5,197.25 the first year and the final three years will cost $4,395.50. The website aspect of the deal will provide the first two years free, with the final two years costing $3,243.23. Morrison said the new system will be better from a user-friendly standpoint for the County Commissioners and 911 as well as making maps easier on Morrison’s staff. She said, however, that realestate people would need to get subscriptions in order to use the website.
In other business, the board took care of some “clerical” items by approving a resolution to dispose of equipment records as submitted by District 2 County Commissioner Cody Covey and Morrison. LeFlore County Clerk and Board Secretary Kelli Ford said that District 2 disposed of a 2011 backhoe in 2011 and the the County Assessor’s office disposed of three computers, but Ford said the proper paperwork at that time was not done, so this board-approved action took care of the clerical error.
The Commissioners approved a road construction project for Lovings Cut Off Road, a resolution determining the maximum monthly highway expenditures for January, LeFlore County Treasurer April Caughern’s monthly report of officers for December and a resolution to re-appoint Garry Ivey to the LeFlore County Equalization and Excise boards.
The board approved Covey to become the new board chairman and Oliver as vice-chairman, replacing Craig Olive and Derwin Gist, respectively — both of whom retired as of Friday.
The County Commissioners also approved Oliver and Campbell III to become the new requisitioning officers for the LeFlore County Advocacy Grant Board, all general government boards, all Emergency Management boards, the LeFlore County Fair Board, the COVID-19 Fund Board, all three district highway accounts, the LeFlore County Detention Center Bond Board, the LeFlore County Hospital Authority, the LeFlore County Public Facilities Authority Board, the LeFlore County Public Building Authority Board, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Board and the Rural Economic Action Plans (REAPs) on Fruit Farm, Crossroads and Hodgen roads.
The board also approved purchase orders, payroll, bonds, monthly fee reports, transfer of appropriations, blanket purchase orders and the two ongoing bridge projects — one a mile east of Shady Point over the Poteau River and the other on Brazil Creek Road south of Oklahoma State Highway 31 and west of Shady Point.
Both the LeFlore County Budget Board and the LeFlore County Public Building Authority boards met prior to the County Commissioners meeting, in which both boards approved Covey to be the board chairman and Oliver the vice-chairman.
In other matters dealt with by the Budget Board, the board approved the endof-the-month-of-December appropriations.