Cleveland Co. commissioners 'bail out' sheriff for $3.2 million in overspending

CLEVELAND COUNTY, Okla. (KFOR) – Cleveland County Commissioners unanimously approved transferring funds to a “taxpayer-assisted bailout fund” to cover more than $3 million in overspending by Sheriff Chris Amason. The county budget board then voted to transfer money from two of the county's accounts.

The sheriff's office is $3.2 million in deficit, but that number could be even higher.

“This is an estimate,” District 3 Commissioner Rusty Grissom said.

Sheriff Chris Amason's millions in overspending were on top of the original $18 million budget for the fiscal year, which ends in June.

The biggest problem remains payroll. There was no money in the budget to pay staff, from deputies to detention center officers. There were also unpaid utility bills and promises of payment to banks for loans.

“This is money that needs to be transferred so we can get these people paid,” said District 1 Commissioner Rod Cleveland, who said it could take years for the county to get the money back.

The money was intended for ongoing projects in the county.

“Specifically, these funds were initially reserved for insurance deductibles and contingencies related to major repairs and replacement of mechanical assets, elevators, plumbing and electrical systems at county-owned properties,” Cleveland said. “To ensure continuity of operations and support of the Sheriff’s Office for the remainder of the fiscal year, these funds have been transferred to a newly created General Fund account.”

The decision came a week after the county and sheriff's office settled a lawsuit with Terri Allison, the sheriff's office's former chief financial officer. Allison was fired in January 2023, two months after reporting misuse of public funds within the sheriff's office. Court documents showed she said Amason was spending too much on travel and purchasing “supplies, materials and equipment without a purchase order.”

Amason would not speak to reporters at Monday's meeting but sent a statement to KFOR.

“I appreciated the collaborative spirit of Monday’s meeting and am grateful for the county budget board’s willingness to work with me to resolve this issue,” Amason said. He also submitted a budget for the next fiscal year, from July 2024 to June 2025. It was $400,000 less than last year. It does not include more than $800,000 for “personnel contingencies” which were planned in the 2023-2024 budget.