Cleveland County Commissioners Special Meeting on Sheriff Appointment - April 30, 2026
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Cleveland County Board of County Commissioners Special Meeting - April 30, 2026
At 11:15 AM, the Cleveland County Board of County Commissioners held a special meeting to address the vacancy in the office of Cleveland County Sheriff. The board convened in open session, moved into executive session for discussion authorized under 25 O.S. §307(B)(1), and later reconvened to adopt a formal process for appointing a successor sheriff. No public comments were made. Commissioners expressed commitment to transparency, continuity, and selecting a qualified candidate.
Executive Session
- The board voted unanimously to enter executive session to discuss the appointment of the Cleveland County Sheriff, as permitted by Oklahoma law. No details of the executive session were disclosed.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No members of the public spoke or submitted requests to speak.
Discussion Items
- Resolution for Sheriff Appointment Process: Commissioner Cleveland introduced and read a resolution establishing procedures for appointing a successor sheriff. The application period opens immediately and closes at 5:00 PM on Thursday, May 14, 2026. Applications may be submitted to the commissioners' office or via the Cleveland County job opportunities page. The motion to approve the resolution passed unanimously (3-0).
- Commissioner Statements:
- Commissioner Cleveland noted this would be his fifth appointment for a county sheriff. He emphasized the importance of due diligence, continuity, and maintaining the integrity of law enforcement. He expressed confidence in Under Sheriff Finley's ability to maintain the status quo and stated the goal of filling the position within 60 days.
- Commissioner Grissom stressed that the decision is major and that the board must find the best and right person to restore trust in Cleveland County and responsibly manage taxpayer dollars.
- The chair (McHughes) added that the board is receiving significant public interest, urged following the procedures, and described the process as an opportunity to attract top candidates for an improved sheriff's office moving forward.
Key Outcomes
- Vote: Motion to approve the resolution for sheriff appointment procedures passed unanimously (Commissioners Cleveland, Grissom, and McHughes all voting yes).
- Application Period: Opens April 30, 2026, and closes May 14, 2026, at 5:00 PM.
- Next Steps: Commissioners indicated they will vet applicants, conduct interviews, and aim to appoint a successor within 60 days. The board chair offered to answer questions after the meeting.
Meeting Transcript
All right, we're gonna call the meeting to order the Clinton County Commissioner's roll call, please. Here we go. Here. Make a motion we go in executive session. We have a motion from Commissioner Cleveland. Yes. Waiting for Commissioner Grissom here with us. Welcome. Make a motion to reconvene in open session. Second. Motion and second roll call. Thank you. Yes. Yes. Cleveland. I motion carry. Item number two is action regarding executive session for the purpose of the appointment of Cleveland County Sheriff as authorized in Title Twenty Five. Commissioner Cleveland, do you want to read the resolution? I can read the resolution. It's whereas a vacancy exists of the Oak of the Office of Cleveland County Sheriff, whereas percent Oklahoma law, the Board of County Commissioners of Cleveland County is authorized to appoint the successor sheriff to serve the unexpired term, and whereas the board desires the establishment of a fair, transparent, and orderly process for receiving applications and selecting a qualified successor sheriff. Now therefore, be it resolved by the Board of County Commissioners of Cleveland County that the following procedures are hereby adopted for the appointment of the successor. So the application period will be begin today and will um go through five PM on Thursday Thursday, May 14th. And the applications can be submitted directly to the commissioner's office or at the um Cleveland County job opportunities page. So I make a motion to approve the resolution for the applicant. We have a motion. Yes. Yes. Cleveland. Board member statements and announcements. Commissioner Cleveland, do you have anything you'd like to add? Um no, only a only thing that I'd like to like to say is that believe it or not, this will be my fifth appointment for a county sheriff. Um so we uh we take um we take this very serious. Um we've we've done an appointment already for a treasurer, and uh we've gone through that process um this year. So um we will be working uh and vetting every applicant and doing our due diligence, and uh I actually look forward to the uh to the process. Um it's gonna be good to uh get to know people and probably meet people that we've that have never met before and everything. So it's gonna be uh uh be good. Um one thing I like to let the sheriff's office employees and everything. Um it is my goal to um maintain this status quo as as far as like continuity and everything. I expect that uh under Sheriff um Finley is fully capable of doing that and uh appreciate his um leadership that he will be able to to do that, but with the sheriff's office, but that's what we're doing. We're just we're working this and we're hope to have this completed um within 60 days and uh because that's much needed that we have that actual office actually filled um and uh and to the to the um uh county residents. Um same thing is that uh is that's we were we will be working to make sure that there's complete continuity and the integrity of law enforcement in Cleveland County is um is at its um highest um that uh that it will that it has ever been and will be in the future. Thank you, Commissioner. Commissioner Chrisom, do you have any comments? Uh so I'd like to say that this is a major decision that uh we're gonna have to make and I want to make sure we find the best and the right person for this job, and uh we have a responsibility to restore trust and in Cleveland County and most importantly make sure that we take care of the taxpayer dollars. Okay, Commissioner, thank you. Um I will be available for QA after this. Um we are getting bombarded with uh people asking about it. Look, follow the procedures. It's really an exciting time for us. We're coming through a rough time, but we're looking at the positive side from the commissioner's standpoint.
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