Multiple sources have asserted there is an effort underway by Tulsa County Commissioner Karen Keith to place James Rae, her current Chief Deputy, in a permanent staff position before her term ends in January. Commissioner Keith did not run for reelection, but for Tulsa Mayor and lost that race November 5.
Observers question if a job is being manufactured to “home” a political operative. Rae ran for the County Commission seat but was defeated in the primary. Rae had previously run for the Texas Legislature prior to moving to Tulsa and came in third in the Democratic Party Primary.
As Tulsa Today covered in April, Rea closed on the purchase of a residence in District 2 September 29 and updated his voter registration October 1, 2023. The new home is a few blocks from his previous residence, which was not in the district and Rea, an attorney, declared he purchased the new home specifically to run for county office.
A complaint was filed with the Election Board by Maria Barnes that asserted Rea had not lived in the district for the full six months prior to filing as required by law. The Election Board decided in Rae’s favor (click here for that story).
Rae lost his primary contest on June 18 and the winner, Sarah Gray, then lost the general election to OK Representative Lonnie Sims.
In an exclusive interview, Sarah Gray said, “My thoughts on this are simple — if there is an opening for a county position, I believe there should be a fair and transparent hiring process that is open to the public. If Tulsa County conducts a fair, robust application process and Mr. Rea is the most qualified applicant, I see no reason why he should not be hired.
“With that said, it’s no secret the Board of County Commissioners has a lot of work to do to earn the trust of the taxpayers. The failure of leadership in handling the abuses against detained children at our juvenile detention center shouldn’t be forgotten. The good ole boy system only benefits the wealthy and well-connected, and it has a way of shielding folks from accountability. Tulsa County taxpayers deserve better,” Gray continued.
“It should come as a surprise to no one that folks would be concerned about the possibility of a political appointee receiving unfair access to taxpayer funded employment. The more transparency the better. If the county believes their actions are justified, they should be proud to publicly state them. That goes for any potential hiring efforts or any other business they’re conducting on behalf of the public,” Gray concluded.
District 3 Commissioner Kelly Dunkerley said he has not been a part of any discussion concerning future employment at Tulsa County for James Rae.
District 1 Commissioner Stan Sallee said, “We worked closely with James when he was with the District Attorney Office well before he assisted Commissioner Karen Keith as Chief Deputy. James has been instrumental in working on our real estate acquisitions and with engineering groups and litigation. He would be an asset to the county.
“Whether he will have a position here, I don’t know. He knows his way around County government and is a good steward of the people’s money. I have worked with him on several contracts and he is very business minded. If it ends up that there is a place for James, great. He has also been active in working with our State Legislature,” Sallee added.
Tulsa County receives legal services from the Tulsa County District Attorney Civil Division which consists of five full time attorneys and a legal assistant. Tulsa County also retains a State Capitol lobbyist, Jami Longacre and benefits from the Oklahoma Association of County Commissioners lobby efforts by Bill Case and INCOG lobbyist Scott Adkins.
Incoming District 2 Commissioner Lonnie Sims is conducting interviews for his Chief Deputy position but told this reporter that no one has spoken to him about hiring James Rae in a different capacity.
Typically, if an executive level position is added, all three commissioners would agree on the hire. An expansion of executive staff after an election but prior to a newly elected commissioner assuming office is very unusual.
Outgoing-Commissioner Karen Keith did not respond to a request for an interview.
While some criticize Tulsa County on the handling of the Juvenile Justice Center, Commissioner Sallee said, “The Juvenile Justice Center may stay on probation, but improvements are being made. Management has turned the corner. In fifty-years the Board of County Commissioners has never directly managed the juvenile detention facility. Now we are and we have more experienced people in that facility than ever before. There are more activities for the kids and ongoing training for employees. We have established an oversight committee and are bringing in experts to help.”
Tulsa County also expects to begin repairs on the Tulsa County Courthouse in the first quarter of the year and improvements to the new Tulsa County Election Board offices are ongoing. Tulsa County roads and bridges also remain a major concern as they are throughout Oklahoma.
While County responsibilities grow with population, taxpayers are rightly concerned over hidden growth of executive staff in functions already covered by existing personnel - especially by those with a documented history of partisan candidacy for public office.
Can Tulsa County be salvaged? Their unholy alliance with DHS should be much more fully investigated. Our most vulnerable kids deserve much better. Keep outing their corruption.
Keep on putting these people under the spotlight, Mr. Arnett!