‘I like to know who's lobbying for us'
Municipal League ends contract with GRDA

By Randy Ellis

Published: August 2, 2007

The Oklahoma Municipal League's board of directors voted Wednesday to terminate a controversial contract that the organization's executive director had approved without consulting board members.

The 8-7 vote to end the Grand River Dam Authority contract followed an hour-and-a-half closed door session. One member abstained.

"What's done here, stays here — remember,” board member Jerry Johnston cautioned colleagues after the vote. Johnston is the Municipal League's past president and mayor of Braman.

The board left intact an equally controversial $48,000-a-year lobbying contract with Scott Adkins of Broken Arrow, which Municipal League Executive Director Danny George also signed without prior board approval. Adkins is the brother of state Rep. Dennis Adkins, R-Tulsa, chairman of the House Energy and Technology Committee.

Under the contract that was terminated, the Grand River Dam Authority has been paying the Municipal League $49,500 a year since 2006 to distribute GRDA promotional materials to its members and to cooperate "in securing the support of other entities of state government for GRDA's programs to aid municipalities.”

The Grand River Dam Authority is a state agency involved in hydroelectric power generation in northeastern Oklahoma.

Larry Thoma, Municipal League president, said he had concerns with the contract.

"My whole problem with the GRDA contract is, I had a number of cities that complained that the interests of GRDA conflict with some of their municipal interests,” said Thoma, who is the mayor of Elgin.

Thoma announced during the meeting that the city of Lawton was withholding its dues payment to the league because of concern about how the lobbying contract with Adkins was handled.

Larry Mitchell, Lawton city manager, said he was never told the Municipal League had contracted with Adkins, even though he is a member of the Municipal League's legislative committee.

"I would have expected to know,” Mitchell said.

"It wasn't an ultimatum,” Mitchell said of Lawton's decision to withhold dues. "We were surprised and wanted to make sure the board and membership were fully aware of what was happening. ... We wanted to make sure we had a clear understanding of what the arrangement was.”

Thoma voiced similar concerns during the meeting, before board members voted to go into closed session.

"I'm president of the league, and I wouldn't know Scott Adkins if he walked in the door,” Thoma said. "We're paying him $48,000. ... I like to know who's lobbying for us.”

Thoma told board members he also was concerned because Adkins' annual pay was raised from $24,000 to $48,000 without anything being put in writing.

George told the board he felt he had the authority to enter into the contracts in behalf of the Municipal League, but said there was "no question” about the board having the authority to change or cancel the agreements.

"The board of directors is the boss,” George said.

George declined to comment after the meeting.

Justin Alberty, spokesman for the Grand River Dam Authority, said the agency "is aware of and respects this decision made today by the OML Board and understands it must do what is in the best interest of its members.”

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