Association rebuffs Open Record request

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – The Association of County Commissioners of Oklahoma has rebuffed the efforts of county commissioners to learn the salary of the association’s new executive director.

The Oklahoman (http://bit.ly/1Bnuknu ) reports that the association rejected open-record requests for information about the salary of recently fired Executive Director Gayle Ward and three other employees. The Association said the organization is a private, nonprofit group and was not required to disclose that information, even though it is mostly funded by taxpayer revenue.

The association’s board of directors voted last week to fire Ward and to replace her with former Muskogee County Commissioner Gene Wallace at the same pay rate, but declined to disclose what her salary was.

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and state auditor’s office is investigating allegations of misconduct within the association.