MUSKOGEE, Okla. — Four volunteer fire departments in Muskogee County are required to hand over all funds and county-purchased inventory to county commissioners.
This comes after a Board of County Commissioners meeting Monday where the county's legal counsel said those departments are not in compliance with state statutes. Mountain View, Brushy Mountain, Keefeton and Buckhorn are the four listed as Title 19 fire districts in Muskogee County.
John Tyler Hammons, the county attorney, says county commissioners are required to oversee funds for all Title 19s. With the passing of a permanent, county-wide firefighter sales tax in 2005, Hammons says every purchase firefighters make with county funds needs to be properly filed, but it’s not happening.
“We want to make sure the county’s money — the taxpayers' money — is being spent for what it should be spent for," Hammons said.
Buckhorn Fire Chief Clayton Webb says his department isn't doing anything malicious.
“They are essentially destroying their Title 19 fire departments," Webb said. "We can’t function the way they want us to function.”
The four departments have 30 days to file all inventory and hand over funds. They will also be audited by the state fire pension system and state auditor.
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