State audit of Oklahoma small town finds multiple statute violations

Summary:

– Audit finds repeated Open Meetings and Open Records violations.

– Dozens of town expenditures lacked approval and documentation.

– Findings referred to Grady County district attorney for review.

BRADLEY — A state forensic audit report released Friday found that a small Oklahoma town’s governing board repeatedly violated open- government laws and mishandled public funds between July 2018 and December 2020.

With a population of 78, according to 2020 census data, the town of Bradley in Grady County is about an hour’s drive from Oklahoma City. In 2021, the citizens of Bradley filed a petition with Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd, requesting an investigation of town books to determine the following:

Whether the town complied with the Open Records Act