Bartlesville Radio: The area’s best source for news, weather and sports!

The Washington County Commissioners unanimously approve a use tax resolution.

Chairman Mitch Antle says he wrote the resolution in such a manner to state that use tax collections would take effect on January 1, 2023. Antle says there are advantages and disadvantages to this taking place in Washington County. He says this impacts local businesses because you can purchase an out-of-state product cheaper online than what you could get from a local retailer by way of a tax, which seems counterintuitive to him.

Chairman Antle says he knows they had reason for the position they were in but he feels like they have created equity with businesses. He says that is a positive.

Washington County is the last out of Oklahoma's 77 counties to collect a use tax. The item was approved by the Commissioners on Monday morning.

Also in the Commissioners' meeting, a proclamation for Oklahoma Home and Community Education (OHCE) for the week of May 1, 2022 to May 7, 2022 would be approved. The proclamation was read aloud by OHCE President Paula Barnes. Several members of OHCE were in attendance for the occasion. 

Pictured left: The Washington County Commissioners stand with members of Oklahoma Home and Community Education after the proclamation for OHCE Week was approved.

Later in the meeting, an inter-local agreement between the Commissioners and the Washington County Public Facilities Authority would receive approval. Two similar agreements have been approved in the past. The agreement is set to expire on June 30, 2022, but the agreement could be picked up next fiscal year starting in July.

On-premises VDI implementation between Insight Public Record, Inc. and the Washington County Commissioners would be approved in the meeting as well. Chariman Antle says they approved four agreements in this matter on April 11. Antle says they had handwritten the State law governing the contracts, but Insight altered that portion slightly. He says all they had to do was resign the agreements. The Commissioners re-signed one of the four agreement, meaning they will go through this process three more times once they receive the items again.

Lastly, an Axo Body 2 Camera from the Washington County Sheriff's Office would be declared as surplus. The original cost of the item purchased in February 2018 was $499.

The Washington County Commissioners will next meet on Monday, May 9, at 9:30 a.m. on the second floor of the Administration Building, 400 S. Johnstone Avenue in Bartlesville.