Cleveland County Budget Board Regular Meeting - August 24, 2026

The Cleveland County Budget Board held a regular meeting on August 24, 2026, at 10:30 AM in Norman, OK. The board approved routine financial items, discussed a significant increase in health insurance premiums and potential changes to coverage, received updates on infrastructure projects and employee wellness programs, and addressed concerns about purchasing card limits. No public comments were submitted.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the minutes of the July 27, 2026 regular meeting (unanimous roll call).
• Approved the Notice of Schedule of Regular Meetings for the 2027 Calendar Year (unanimous roll call).
• Approved FY2025-2026 Lapsed Appropriations for FY2026-2027 Cash Fund Appropriations (unanimous roll call).
• Approved Cash Fund Requests for Appropriations from July 16, 2026 to August 15, 2026 (unanimous roll call). During discussion, a question was asked about the source of the Opioid Abatement Settlement funds (item 22). Robin from the Treasurer's office clarified there are two accounts: one from direct litigation settlements (Cleveland County was a party) and one from an attorney general’s office grant (second year of a three-year grant). The $47,449.89 is contractually obligated to vendors chosen by the county commissioners for treatment programs. The board approved the overall appropriations list.
• Approved a transfer of $43,646.00 from ARPA Maintenance & Operations (112120-54000) to ARPA Capital Outlay (112120-55065) for HVAC and electrical work (unanimous roll call).
• Approved a transfer of $30,000.00 from General Fund Free Fair Board Capital Outlay (100750-55000) to General Fund Free Fair Board Maintenance & Operations (100750-54000) for Premiums & Awards payments (unanimous roll call). A board member asked if the amount was higher than the previous year; staff explained the prior year was in the high $20,000s and the increase was to ensure sufficient funds if all awards were claimed.

Discussion Items

• Employee Benefits Committee Update (Item 7): Commissioner Rod Cleveland reported that EGID (Health Choice) has approved premiums with increases of 17% to 19%. The committee is obtaining quotes from OPH&W, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and United Healthcare. Cleveland discussed the possibility of moving to a self-insured model over a three-year period, noting the county is already effectively self-insured but without control over data. Commissioner Darrell Weaver emphasized the need to prioritize employee coverage and not jump to increasing dependent coverage before assessing the impact on primary employees. A debate ensued about whether a previous proposal from OPH&W had coverage “holes”; Cleveland disagreed, stating it was a better plan that would have saved $2 million over five years. Commissioner Williams noted that rising insurance costs are a statewide issue. No formal action was taken; the committee will present a proposal to the Budget Board once all quotes are received and analyzed.
• Infrastructure Committee Update (Item 8): The committee met on July 30, 2026. Key updates included: completion of a lighting project at the courthouse (funded through grants/ARPA); new parking lot design (green spaces for public, red for employees); replacement of windows at the Election Board; concrete work at the Calves Center delayed due to heat; refurbishment of jury chairs in Judge Tuffers’ courtroom; a ramp program for mobility-challenged residents (grants available); two new EV chargers at the fairgrounds; and new digital signage at the fairgrounds to be installed after the county fair.
• Presentation from George Mauldin, Safety & Emergency Management Director (Item 9): Mauldin provided an update on the employee wellness challenge, noting that 55 employees have signed up for blood draws starting September 1st. The challenge runs through October 13th, and employees can earn up to 120 points for a $250 reward. He encouraged board members to promote participation. Commissioner Weaver and others expressed support and noted good engagement in their offices.
• New Business – P-Card Limits: A board member raised concern that the county’s aggregate purchasing card limit of $40,000 is insufficient for current needs (online purchasing, multi-officer conference registrations). Commissioner Cleveland explained that the limit is set by Bank of America under the state OBS contract and cannot be unilaterally raised by the board; an increase would require up-to-date audited financial statements (the most recent audit is four years late). He suggested pursuing legislation to allow counties to negotiate P-card contracts with Oklahoma-based banks. Commissioner Weaver agreed and noted that roughly half the counties participate in the state’s program. Staff is also exploring making two payments per month to ease the limit, but this requires timely receipt reconciliation from all offices.

Key Outcomes

• All consent and business items (1-6) were approved unanimously via roll call votes.
• The Board received updates on health insurance and infrastructure; no formal action was taken on these items.
• The Board acknowledged the presentation from George Mauldin and encouraged employee participation in the wellness program.
• On P-card limits, the Board agreed to pursue both a short-term request for a modest increase (e.g., to $60,000–$80,000) contingent on an updated audit, and a long-term legislative effort to allow county-level P-card contracting.
• The Board set September 4th as a target date to close out purchase orders for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, to facilitate timely budget preparation.
• The Board noted the assessor’s report showing 5% growth in assessed property value (to approximately $3.5 billion net taxable), which increases county revenue.
• The meeting adjourned without any further business.