The McAlester City Council met this past Tuesday, Aug. 27th for their second regular meeting of the month and they covered many topics, and approved multiple items. Firstly, Councilors decided to pass on the investigation into potential breaches of local campaign finance regulations by Randy Roden to the Pittsburg County District Attorney and the Oklahoma State Ethics Commission, following a recommendation from the City Board of Ethics.
The complaint alleged that Roden, who was running for mayor while serving as the Ward 4 Councilor, failed to properly file his campaign financial disclosures. The City Board of Ethics recommended that the council refer the matter to the appropriate investigative bodies. The recommendation was approved by all but Ward 5 Councilor Billy Jack Boatright, who abstained from the vote.
Finally, the City Council instructed the City Manager to arrange for mandatory annual ethics training for City Elected Officials through the Oklahoma Municipal League and/or the Oklahoma Municipal Assurance Group. Councilors Levi Gilmore, Justin Few, Chris Stone, and John Browne approved the measure, while Boatright opposed it.
We will have more on the City Council meeting next week.