Lockhart told the county commissioners about the merge at their meeting Monday after two citizens complained about 9-1-1 services.
"I have been watching the 9-1-1 system," Lockhart said, "and working with Chuck Wyckoff (9-1-1 board member). We are in negotiations to take over the 9-1-1 system after I take office."
Lockhart said he had looked at the Sequoyah County 9-1-1 records and said, "They are O.K."
Lockhart said, "People are accusing them of taking money and I know they're not."
Lockhart made his intentions known after Bill Taylor of rural Sequoyah County north of Vian and David Buttery of Vian told the commissioners they had concerns about the 9-1-1 system.
Taylor wanted to know how the money for the system worked and asked why the money didn't go through the county clerk's office.
Taylor said, "The 9-1-1 system has been in the works for 13 or 14 years and it's not done yet. I'm upset with it. You people (county commissioners) are responsible for it."
Taylor said he lives in the country and cannot get sheriff's deputies or the 9-1-1 system to respond to his calls. He also accused the 9-1-1 board of mishandling the money which comes from a telephone tariff for 9-1-1 services. Taylor said he had found one check written for $45,000 and could not find where the money was spent.
Charles "Chuck" Wyckoff said the 9-1-1 system's financial records were considered open records, and Taylor could look at them anytime he wished.
Taylor was not convinced and said to the commissioners, "You appointed these guys to the 9-1-1 system and it isn't working, and the county roads are falling apart.
"I want to know where this money is going," Taylor emphasized.
District 2 Commissioner Steve Carter explained that a portion of the telephone tariff does go through the county clerk's office and the county clerk issues the payroll checks for the 9-1-1 dispatchers.
Wyckoff said that the 9-1-1 trust and bookkeeping system were set up by the state, and the system is audited every year. He said he had invited Taylor before the meeting to come and look at the books at any time.
Taylor responded, "There is $45,000 missing and nobody knows where it went. I'm not opening my mouth until it goes to a court of law."
Wyckoff responded, "You are making a lot of allegations, but you're not giving me any facts. I can't answer you until you give me some facts."
Buttery said, "I'm real concerned about the 9-1-1 system. It is set up through the county, but in 2000 it was taken away from the county clerk. I'm not sure why. I want to know where the money is going. And why don't we have just one 9-1-1 system in the county."
Officials in the 427- telephone prefix in the east end of the county set up a separate 9-1-1 system for the 427- telephone prefix only. The Sequoyah County 9-1-1 system serves many different telephone prefix areas from Gore through Gans.
Wyckoff invited both men to visit the Sequoyah County 9-1-1 office to see the records, and explained how the two 9-1-1 systems were set up.
Wyckoff said the other Sequoyah County 9-1-1 board members are Larry Vincent the Central area and Dana Tracy of the Gore area.
Wyckoff has explained in the past that as soon as the mapping and addressing of the county are done, the data will be turned over to AT&T permanently and for updating. The Eastern Oklahoma Development District in Muskogee is doing the mapping and addressing, which will match that mapping and addressing done throughout the state.
