OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond requested an investigative audit of the state’s Turnpike Authority last Wednesday.
Drummond, elected attorney general last fall, made the request in a letter to State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd.
In his letter, Drummond said he had concerns about the financial decisions made by the Turnpike Authority.
“I have had many conversations over the past few months with legislators, community leaders, private citizens and state employees who have expressed a wide array of concerns with the financial conduct of the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority,” he wrote. “These concerns include but are not limited to improper transfers between the OTA and the Department of Transportation, improper contracting and purchasing practices and inadequate internal financial controls.”
Last December, a Cleveland County district judge ruled that the Turnpike Authority had “willfully violated” the state’s Open Meetings Act because of vague wording on its January and February meeting agendas.
That ruling came after a group of Cleveland County residents sued the Turnpike Authority over a planned extension of the John Kilpatrick Turnpike.
In his letter, Drummond wrote that the Turnpike Authority’s blatant disregard for openness and transparency suggested to him a willingness to engage in any manner of unlawful conduct.
His request is the latest act in an ongoing drama involving the OTA, a group of Cleveland County residents and the authority’s ACCESS expansion plan.
The ACCESS plan includes extending the Kickapoo Turnpike south and west from Interstate 40 into the Norman area and expanding the Kilpatrick Turnpike on the west side of Will Rogers World Airport to create a connection between Mustang and Newcastle.
In January, dozens of protestors pushed back at the agency’s plan to build a turnpike expansion in the area. During the meeting, more than two dozen residents signed up to speak.
Still, Turnpike Authority Chairman Gene Love said the board would not “engage in discussion” with any person speaking and would not answer any questions.
“I believe it’s important for you, the OTA board, to realize how you are perceived out here in the real world,” said Dave Moore, a member of the group opposing the turnpike expansion projects. “You know right up front that most regular folks in Oklahoma hate toll roads.”
Since then, the authority’s ACCESS plan has been stalled, due to the Seminole judge’s ruling on the OTA’s Open Meetings Act violation and a possible ruling by the Oklahoma Supreme Court which could decide the fate of the OTA’s $5 billion package to finance the ACCESS plan.
State records show the Turnpike Authority borrowed funds from its capital maintenance account after the state Council on Bond Oversight failed to grant permission for the authority to open a line of credit with Wells Fargo.
“I am resolved to have all relevant information that will help me determine whether the OTA is in full compliance with the law. Therefore, pursuant to 74 O.S. § 18f, I am requesting an investigative audit of the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority,” Drummond wrote.
Amy Cerato, a member of the group opposed to the ACCESS plan, told Oklahoma City television station KFOR that the group had been fighting for answers from the OTA for more than a year after she found out her home sat in line with a proposed turnpike.
Cerato said she was delighted with Drummond’s request for an audit.
“We’re finally going to have some answers about the financial transactions that the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority has undergone over the last few decades,” Cerato told the television station. “How the OTA treats the citizens of Oklahoma is not OK. We need to add transparency and accountability to the law.”
Drummond’s action also drew praise from four members of the Legislature who have previously raised concerns about the OTA.
In a joint media statement released last Thursday, Sen. Mary Boren, along with Reps. Jacob Rosecrants, Annie Menz and Jared Deck, all Democrats representing the Norman Area, praised the audit.
“Our hometown of Norman and its residents have been in a constant state of worry since the ACCESS Oklahoma plan was announced. The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority’s plan threatens homes, wildlife, fair and reliable funding for roads, and our community as a whole. After months of legal battles, the authority is now under investigation for financial misconduct and blatantly disregarding the provisions of the Open Meeting Act,” Boren said.
Menz said the OTA has not done a great job of taking into account the concerns of the Oklahomans that their plan affects.
“Unfortunately, our constituents have had to sacrifice significant amounts of time and money to make sure their rights were honored by OTA,” Menz’ statement said. “We know that this is not just a Norman issue – the way OTA operates reaches every corner of the state. This issue is nonpartisan and has invited lawmakers to work together across the aisle. I have been encouraged by the many ways our colleagues have crossed party lines to include us in meetings and proposed legislation.”
Deck praised Drummond for taking action and sharing residents’ concerns about OTA’s methods of conducting business.
“In particular, his concerns of improper transfers between OTA and the Department of Transportation, improper contracting and purchasing, and ‘inadequate internal financial controls.’” he said.
Rosecrants said he hopes the audit would result in more accountability and transparency from the OTA and state government as a whole.
“While I agree that we need to improve roads and transportation systems in our state, I also know that Oklahomans deserve to have a collaborative and proactive voice in projects that will drastically affect their lives and businesses,” he said.