Below is my letter to State Attorney General Gentner Drummond.

Whether or not you support the GoBond proposal, we should all be concerned with how our government operates.

Dear Attorney General Drummond,

I write today with serious concerns regarding the actions of the City of Edmond and its City Council related to its proposed $231 million General Obligation (GO) bond initiative on the November 5 ballot. These concerns revolve around the potential misuse of public resources and questionable ethical practices that may violate both the letter and spirit of Oklahoma state law.

Given the gravity of these issues, I respectfully request an independent investigation by the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office, with a copy to the Oklahoma Ethics Commission.

In addition to being a long-time Edmond resident, I have served our state and nation in various capacities, including working under a U.S. President and three governors. I’ve also had the honor of serving as a member of the Oklahoma Professional Responsibility Tribunal and on the City of Edmond’s Capital Improvement Projects Advisory Board. This experience has strengthened my commitment to ethical governance, and it is from this perspective that I raise the following concerns.

The crux of the issue stems from recent activities and communications from the City of Edmond surrounding the GO bond initiative. Recently, the Edmond City Council set the goal of appointing a citizens’ committee to recommend projects and funding for the potential GO bond election. However, the process by which these events have unfolded raises significant ethical and legal concerns that undermine public trust in local governance.

Oklahoma law prohibits the use of public resources to advocate for or promote a bond initiative. It is my understanding that public officials are allowed to provide factual information about how the funds would be used, however they are forbidden from engaging in activities that could be seen as campaigning for a particular outcome. Based on my observations, the following has occurred:

Promotion with Public Funds and Resources:

Publicly funded signs, now interpreted by independent media sources as being “in favor” of the bond, raise significant concerns. Additionally, there have been reports that the city has used utility bills, and other public communications channels to promote the bond initiative. The city’s use of advocacy language on public websites is also troubling. For example, on the city’s General Obligation Bond Advisory Task Force page, it favorably describes the bond as “a smart and resourceful way to fund the city’s highest-priority streets, parks, and public safety improvements.”

Moreover, the city used public dollars to retain polling and public relations firms at a cost of at least $70,000 — likely much more — to convince citizens to support the GO bond initiative. These actions may violate state laws prohibiting the use of public funds for campaign activities.

Conflicted Citizens’ ‘Task Force’: The task force appointed to review and recommend bond projects appears to be heavily comprised of individuals with conflicts of interest. This includes three notable homebuilders; a person whose company constructs and repaves city streets; a municipal bond broker/advisor (who was previously censured by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for failing fiduciary obligations to a city); a leader at a design and engineering firm retained by the city to design a controversial new public safety center; at least one attorney who regularly represents developers before the city council; a current or former construction manager of the metro library system — which has a new library build included as a bond project; and a commercial banker.

These affiliations raise ethical concerns, as many of these individuals stand to benefit from the bond’s approval, creating, at minimum, questionable appearances.

Dark Money Influence: There are also concerns regarding a group backing the GO bond initiative that is using materials strikingly like those produced by the city, raising questions about potential coordination between the city and private interests. The lack of transparency surrounding this group’s funding further clouds the issue. There is considerable speculation in the community that the same people funding these efforts were members of the city-appointed task force.

As the Oklahoma Attorney General and the Ethics Commission are tasked with upholding ethical standards and protecting citizens from government misconduct, it is important these activities be thoroughly investigated. The citizens of Edmond deserve assurance that their government is acting within the bounds of the law and in their best interests.

Regardless of whether this bond passes or fails, the integrity of the process must be preserved, as trust in local government is paramount.

I urge your offices to carefully consider the potential legal and ethical violations that have been raised and take appropriate action to protect the interests of Edmond’s citizens. This investigation will play a critical role in upholding the transparency and accountability we expect from our public institutions.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to your prompt response.

Sincerely,

Matt Burns

Concerned Citizen of Edmond, OK

Cc: Oklahoma Ethics Commission

2300 N Lincoln Blvd, Room B-5

Oklahoma City, OK 73105