District 3 Commissioner Cleon Harrell, commission chairman, said the meeting was called to bring the trust authority into compliance with present statutes and to counter allegations and criticisms that the commissioners have "too much authority over the jail and jail operations."
Harrell explained that the trust was formed under state statutes in effect in 2000 which let express trusts, in this case the jail trust, be composed of the three county commissioners, the county sheriff and one individual resident of the county. The commissioners were guided in the formation of the trust by the trust's attorney, Terry Hawkins.
Since then, the law has changed. The law now requires that jail trusts be composed of "not less than five members and include a county commissioner and the county sheriff, or their designee, and one member appointed by each of the county commissioners. The appointed members shall not be elected officials."
The local jail trust could be grandfathered in to the older statute, but the commissioners want to bring the trust into compliance with the present laws, they said.
Harrell said after the special meeting that he most likely will serve on the trust because he is the commission chairman. The other commissioners have not announced their appointments.
"We will put this on the Jan. 31 commission agenda," Harrell said, adding that the appointees will probably be announced at that meeting.
Harrell said the commissioners were not only changing the makeup of the authority to be in compliance with state statutes but also to make the authority "more constituent friendly, and for the betterment of the county."
Since the authority took over jail operations the commissioners have been criticized by others, including Sheriff Johnny Philpot, about jail operations.
The commissioners have also been in nearly constant conflict with the Sequoyah County Excise Board about the amount of money to operate the jail. A half-cent sales tax was approved by county voters to build and operate the jail. Two-thirds of the half-cent was to pay for the jail and the remaining one-third was to operate the jail. The sales tax raises about $25,000 per month, on average, which is not enough money to operate the jail both the commissioners and sheriff say, but excise board members have not budgeted sufficient money for jail operations, the commissioners contend.
