Budget approved for Tulsa County jail over mayors' objections

The Tulsa County Criminal Justice Authority approved a jail budget for the next fiscal year, but some area mayors who sit on the authority aren't happy about it.

Specifically, Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett, Mayor Geri Moberly of Owasso, and Mayor Mike Burdge of Sand Springs believe more oversight is needed on how money gets spent at the jail.

Bartlett was out of town this week on business at the Paris Air Show, so didn't vote.

Burdge and Moberly both voted to nix the budget, but Vice-Mayor Momodou Ceesay of Glenpool voted with all three county commissioners to approve the budget.

There has been serious infighting among the members of the authority about financial oversight for the jail, which is operated by Tulsa County Sheriff Stanley Glanz's office.

Glanz and TCSO have been under fire, and a petition drive to investigate him via a grand jury wraps up this week.

Mayor Bartlett has long insisted there needs to be a full audit done on all jail operations.

But the clock was ticking, and some authority members felt it was important to have a budget before the next fiscal year begins.

They were advised that the budget can be amended at any time.