Allegations of seeking "whistleblower reward" and distributing vague and misleading petition requests were levied Tuesday night at a special city council meeting.
Over 50 local residents heard mayor Jennifer Clason discuss both the state audit petition being circulated as well as a flyer that is handed out around town.
The petition and flyer are coming from city hall critic Howard Buck Sheward and is being distributed by him and several other people said to be affiliated with his group Citizens for Reform. Sheward had been invited to attend the meeting but was not present.
That petition is seeking a second audit of the city claiming seven points to be investigated from 2013 to 2016. If enough signatures are obtained, the state auditor would come back to Henryetta at a cost ranging from $50,000 to $75,000.
Sheward met with a reporter Tuesday afternoon and, when asked why he is circulating the petition, he said he believes there will be a civil lawsuit amounting to millions of dollars and, as a "whistleblower," he would be entitled to 30 percent of the amount.
"We don't have that money in our budget," Clason told the packed council chambers. "If we have to pay for this, we will have to cut services. "All parks, the upkeep probably won't happen." She said it could involve cutting personnel by three employees.
Clason went over the seven items listed on Sheward's petition.
She pointed out the city has received numerous records requests from Sheward and, at one point, had two years of records in folders on a table. When Michelle Stremme came in to examine them, Clason said she said it was "overwhelming," and didn't examine them.
A claim that the city received a $3 million grant to remove dilapidated buildings in 2013 was disputed. Clason pointed out no one in the city, Eastern Oklahoma Development District or the state, "can tell us where it came from. There's no money in the state budget to provide cities with that kind of money."
That same claim has been made by Sheward earlier and, since 2010, Thehenryettan.com has been covering council meetings and no grant has been announced for such cleanup.
A demand for accounting for funds from a Halloween event in 2015 cannot be audited since that event was rained out and never held.
Clason said the city has no idea what an accusation of conflict of interest on bidding procedures means calling it vague.
Sheward's petition claims the city used public funds to pay legal fees for former city manager Raymond Eldridge. "That's absurd. The city can't pay for those and why would we pay someone to sue us," she said.
A charge of city funds being used to clean up raw sewage is directed at Fountain View Manor this past year. Clason pointed out an ordinance allowing abandonment of the alley where the business is located also permits the city access to repair, maintain and remove the sewer line. "We chose to pay for it without charging the city," she said.
She said the final item claiming asset forfeiture through the police department was wrong since the district attorney handles all asset forfeitures. That was backed up by police chief Steve Norman. "The city has nothing to do with it."
Those charges, along with several others are included in a flyer being distributed around the area.
When questioned about the number of signatures needed, 283, Clason said that is ten percent of those who voted. Those signatures will have to be verified by the county election board before it can be accepted by the state.
Sen. Roger Thompson told the group he would be visiting with state auditor Gary Jones and asking what would be required to change that percentage. "People have the right to request an audit," he said. He cautioned the group that any changes to correct this issue could affect other communities. "Every time there are changes in the law, it affects our rights."
Clason said the city is currently involved in a lawsuit involving another petition Sheward initiated wanting the city to change its charter and force any rate increase to go before a vote of the people.
The city is not a charter city but rather a statutory city.
That petition is the center of a lawsuit currently in the court, that has already cost the city some $10,000, Clason pointed out.
Several people in the audience asked how to combat the audit petition.
Clason urged everyone to talk with family, friends and neighbors and tell them how that petition would affect the town.
"Calling the state auditor is not going to fix Henryetta," she said. "We have to fix Henryetta. If they continue to do it, we will continue to have this issue. There is no end in sight. You can forget all progress for the future."