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Commissioner Marissa Treat successfully moves to have Budget Evaluation Team review countywide contracts
Summary
The Oklahoma County Board of Commissioners voted to allow the Budget Evaluation Team (BET) to review countywide contracts and purchases that affect countywide funding, after amending the motion to change 'require' to 'allow' and add an 'as needed' caveat to limit workload.
Marissa Treat, a member of the Oklahoma County Board of Commissioners, moved to have the county's Budget Evaluation Team review countywide contracts and purchases that would have countywide budget impacts, excluding contracts limited to single offices or departments. Treat said the change is intended to improve transparency and early-stage planning.
"This is all about, of course, transparency...planning and, collaboration," Treat said when introducing the motion. She clarified the proposal would not prevent commissioners from signing contracts and would not automatically send single-office purchases to BET.
Commissioner (speaker 4) objected to the draft language and asked that the motion be changed from a mandatory 'require' to a permissive 'allow' and that the words 'as needed' be added so the team would not be overwhelmed. Treat accepted the amendment on the floor and restated the motion to allow BET to review countywide contracts and purchases "as needed." The motion was seconded and approved by the board.
Supporters said the review would convene staff from multiple offices to assess funding options, collaborate on planning and report back to the commissioners. Treat used an example of a behavioral health care center to illustrate how BET could help evaluate funding pathways before a contract is finalized.
The board adopted the amended motion; no further implementation timetable or reporting requirement was specified during the discussion. The measure directs staff to use BET for review of countywide contracts and purchases "as needed," but does not change commissioners' authority to sign contracts nor specify funding commitments.
The next step announced at the meeting was that the amended motion will be implemented through staff processes; no specific department was named as lead and no deadline was provided.
