{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-19-19-339","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 19, § 19-339","heading":"General powers of commissioners","body":"A. The board of county commissioners shall have power:\n\n1. To make all orders respecting the real property of the\n\ncounty, to sell the public grounds of the county and to purchase\n\nother grounds in lieu thereof; and for the purpose of carrying out\n\nthe provisions of this section it shall be sufficient to convey all\n\nthe interests of the county in those grounds when an order made for\n\nthe sale and a deed is executed in the name of the county by the\n\nchair of the board of county commissioners, reciting the order, and\n\nsigned by the chair and acknowledged by the county clerk for and on\n\nbehalf of the county;\n\n2. To audit the accounts of all officers having the care,\n\nmanagement, collection or disbursement of any money belonging to the\n\ncounty or appropriated for its benefit;\n\n3. To construct and repair bridges and to open, lay out, and\n\nvacate highways; provided, however, that when any state institution,\n\nschool, or department shall own, lease, or otherwise control land on\n\nboth sides of any established highway, the governing board or body\n\nof the same shall have the power to vacate, alter, or relocate the\n\nhighway adjoining the property in the following manner:\n\nIf it should appear that it would be to the best use and\n\ninterest of the institution, school, or department to vacate, alter,\n\nor relocate such highway, the governing board or body shall notify\n\nthe board of county commissioners, in writing, of their intention to\n\nhold a public hearing and determine whether to vacate, alter, or\n\nrelocate the highway, setting forth the location and terminals of\n\nthe road, and all data concerning the proposed right-of-way if\n\nchanged or relocated, and shall give fifteen (15) days’ notice of\n\nthe hearing by publication in some newspaper in the county or\n\ncounties in which the road is located, and the hearing shall be held\n\nat the county seat of the county in which the road is located, and\n\nif a county line road, may be heard in either county. At the\n\nhearing testimony may be taken, and any protests or suggestions\n\nshall be received as to the proposed measure, and at the conclusion\n\nthereof if the governing board or body shall find that it would be\n\nto the best use and interest of the institution, school, or\n\ndepartment, and the public generally, they may make an appropriate\n\norder either vacating, altering or relocating the highway, which\n\norder shall be final if approved by the board of county\n\ncommissioners. The institution, school, or department may by\n\nagreement share the cost of changing any such road. No property\n\nowner shall be denied access to a public highway by the order;\n\n4. To recommend or sponsor an employee or prospective employee\n\nfor job-related training and certification in an area that may\n\nrequire training or certification to comply with state or federal\n\nlaw as such training or certification is provided by the Department\n\nof Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration, or any other\n\nstate agency, technology center school, or university;\n\n5. To determine the years of service required for full-time\n\ncounty employees to qualify for a continuing education program.\n\nSuch programs may consist of courses offered by colleges and\n\nuniversities that are members of The Oklahoma State System of Higher\n\nEducation as well as any other in-state or out-of-state programs or\n\ncourses which are relevant to the employee’s responsibilities as\n\napproved by the county commissioners. Such programs shall require\n\nthat employees maintain at least an A or B average in order to\n\nqualify for one hundred percent (100%) reimbursement. Employees who\n\nmaintain passing or satisfactory grades shall qualify for seventy-\n\nfive percent (75%) reimbursement under such programs. Such programs\n\nshall require that documentation from colleges and universities\nat employees maintain at least an A or B average in order to\n\nqualify for one hundred percent (100%) reimbursement. Employees who\n\nmaintain passing or satisfactory grades shall qualify for seventy-\n\nfive percent (75%) reimbursement under such programs. Such programs\n\nshall require that documentation from colleges and universities\n\nregarding courses completed, credits earned, and tuition charged be\n\nsubmitted to a board of county commissioners within ninety (90) days\n\nafter the completion of courses. General applications and request\n\nforms for such programs shall be submitted to a board of county\n\ncommissioners or an appropriate human resources department prior to\n\nthe conclusion of a county’s current fiscal year. Employees who\n\nelect to participate in such programs shall continue to meet the\n\nfull responsibilities of their positions, and participation shall\n\nnot interfere with availability for scheduled work or negatively\n\naffect work performance. In order to be eligible for participation\n\nin such programs, employees shall not have been formally disciplined\n\nwithin one (1) year prior to submitting their program application.\n\nA board of county commissioners shall be authorized to establish a\n\nprogram requiring a one-year commitment of service to the county\n\nfrom individuals who participate in such programs. Under such\n\nprograms, employees shall only be eligible to receive tuition\n\nreimbursements in exchange for employment with the county lasting at\n\nleast one (1) year;\n\n6. Until January 1, 1983, to furnish necessary blank books,\n\nplats, blanks, and stationery for the clerk of the district court,\n\ncounty clerk, register of deeds, county treasurer, county judge,\n\nsheriff, county surveyor, county attorney, justices of the peace,\n\nand constables, to be paid for out of the county treasury; also a\n\nfireproof vault sufficient in which to keep all the books, records,\n\nvouchers, and papers pertaining to the business of the county;\n\n7. To set off, organize, and change the boundaries of townships\n\nand to designate and give names therefor; provided, that the\n\nboundaries of no township shall be changed within six (6) months\n\nnext preceding a general election;\n\n8. To lease tools, apparatus, machinery, or equipment of the\n\ncounty to another political subdivision or a state agency. The\n\nAssociation of County Commissioners of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma\n\nState University Center for Local Government Technology together\n\nshall establish a system of uniform rates for the leasing of such\n\ntools, apparatus, machinery, and equipment;\n\n9. To jointly, with other counties, buy heavy equipment and to\n\nloan or lease such equipment across county lines;\n\n10. To develop personnel policies for the county with the\n\napproval of a majority of all county elected officers, as evidenced\n\nin the minutes of a meeting of the board of county commissioners or\n\nthe county budget board;\n\n11. To purchase, rent, or lease-purchase uniforms, safety\n\ndevices, and equipment for the officers and employees of the county.\n\nThe county commissioners may pay for any safety training or safety\n\ndevices and safety equipment out of the general county funds or any\n\ncounty highway funds available to the county commissioners;\n\n12. To provide incentive awards for safety-related job\n\nperformance. However, no employee shall be recognized more than\n\nonce per calendar year and the award shall not exceed the value of\n\nTwo Hundred Fifty Dollars ($250.00); further, no elected official\n\nshall be eligible to receive a safety award;\n\n13. To provide for payment of notary commissions, filing fees,\n\nand the cost of notary seals and bonds;\n\n14. To do and perform other duties and acts that the board of\n\ncounty commissioners may be required by law to do and perform;\n\n15. To make purchases at a public auction pursuant to the\no Hundred Fifty Dollars ($250.00); further, no elected official\n\nshall be eligible to receive a safety award;\n\n13. To provide for payment of notary commissions, filing fees,\n\nand the cost of notary seals and bonds;\n\n14. To do and perform other duties and acts that the board of\n\ncounty commissioners may be required by law to do and perform;\n\n15. To make purchases at a public auction pursuant to the\n\ncounty purchasing procedures in subsection D of Section 1505 of this\n\ntitle;\n\n16. To deposit interest income from highway funds in the\n\ngeneral fund of the county;\n\n17. To submit sealed bids for the purchase of equipment from\n\nthis state, or any agency or political subdivision of this state;\n\n18. To utilize county-owned equipment, labor, and supplies at\n\ntheir disposal on property owned by the county, public schools, two-\n\nyear colleges, or technical branches of colleges that are members of\n\nThe Oklahoma State System of Higher Education, the state and\n\nmunicipalities according to the provisions of Section 36-113 of\n\nTitle 11 of the Oklahoma Statutes. Cooperative agreements may be\n\ngeneral in terms of routine maintenance or specific in terms of\n\nconstruction and agreed to and renewed on an annual basis. Work\n\nperformed pursuant to Section 36-113 of Title 11 of the Oklahoma\n\nStatutes shall comply with the provisions of this section;\n\n19. To enter into intergovernmental cooperative agreements with\n\nthe federally recognized Indian tribes within this state to address\n\nissues of construction and maintenance of streets, roads, bridges,\n\nand highways exclusive of the provisions of Section 1221 of Title 74\n\nof the Oklahoma Statutes;\n\n20. To execute hold harmless agreements with the lessor in the\n\nmanner provided by subsection B of Section 636.5 of Title 69 of the\n\nOklahoma Statutes when leasing or lease-purchasing equipment;\n\n21. To accept donations of rights-of-way or right-of-way\n\neasements pursuant to Section 381 et seq. of Title 60 of the\n\nOklahoma Statutes;\n\n22. To establish by resolution the use of per diem for specific\n\npurposes in accordance with the limitations provided by Sections\n\n500.8 and 500.9 of Title 74 of the Oklahoma Statutes;\n\n23. To apply to the Department of Environmental Quality for a\n\nwaste tire permit to bale waste tires for use in approved\n\nengineering projects;\n\n24. To enter into the National Association of Counties (NACo)\n\nLive Healthy Prescription, Health and Dental Discount Program;\n\n25. To work with federal, state, municipal, and public school\n\ndistrict properties in an effort to minimize cost to such entities;\n\n26. To work with ambulance service districts established under\n\nSection 9C of Article X of the Oklahoma Constitution in an effort to\n\nminimize cost to such entities;\n\n27. To provide incentive awards to employees for participating\n\nin voluntary wellness programs which result in improved health.\n\nIncentive awards may be created by the Wellness Council set forth in\n\nSection 1302 of this title;\n\n28. To establish a county employee benefit program to encourage\n\noutstanding performance in the workplace. Monies may be expended\n\nfor the purchase of recognition awards for presentation to an\n\nemployee or members of a work unit. Recognition awards may be\n\npresented at a formal or informal ceremony, banquet, reception, or\n\nluncheon, the cost of which may be expended from monies available in\n\nthe county department’s or division’s operating fund;\n\n29. To trade in equipment to a vendor or on statewide contract\n\nby acquiring used equipment values pursuant to subsection B of\n\nSection 421.1 of this title;\n\n30. To expend federal funds made available to a county of the\n\nstate through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic\n\nSecurity Act (CARES Act), Pub. L. 116–136, or similar relief funds\n\naccording to the permissible uses of the applicable federal\n\nlegislation or guidance issued by any federal agency thereof,\nused equipment values pursuant to subsection B of\n\nSection 421.1 of this title;\n\n30. To expend federal funds made available to a county of the\n\nstate through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic\n\nSecurity Act (CARES Act), Pub. L. 116–136, or similar relief funds\n\naccording to the permissible uses of the applicable federal\n\nlegislation or guidance issued by any federal agency thereof,\n\nregardless of any lack of specific state statutory authorization to\n\nperform the duties or functions for which the federal government has\n\nprovided the funds. The expenditure of the funds in accordance with\n\nthe federal legislation or guidance issued by any federal agency\n\nthereof shall be at the discretion of the board of county\n\ncommissioners.\n\nThe receipt of funding through the CARES Act or similar relief\n\nfunds shall not be considered a supplemental appropriation and shall\n\nbe exempt from the requirements of Section 1420 of this title. In\n\nthe event the period allotted for expenditure of federal funds\n\ncrosses fiscal years, such funds shall not be considered revenue\n\nwhen setting the county’s budget for the next fiscal year; and\n\n31. To enter into intergovernmental cooperative agreements\n\nwhich shall include shared services, with local governmental units\n\nwithin this state pursuant to the provisions of the Interlocal\n\nCooperation Act, Section 1002 et seq. of Title 74 of the Oklahoma\n\nStatutes.\n\nB. The county commissioners of a county or, in counties where\n\nthere is a county budget board, the county budget board may\n\ndesignate money from general county funds for the designated purpose\n\nof drug enforcement and drug abuse prevention programs within the\n\ncounty.\n\nC. When any lease or lease purchase is made on behalf of the\n\ncounty by the board pursuant to the provisions of this section, the\n\ncounty shall be allowed to have trade in values for transactions\n\ninvolving the Oklahoma Central Purchasing Act.\n\nD. In order to timely comply with the Oklahoma Vehicle License\n\nand Registration Act with regard to county vehicles, the board of\n\ncounty commissioners may, by resolution, create a petty cash\n\naccount. The board of county commissioners may request a purchase\n\norder for petty cash in an amount necessary to pay the expense of\n\nlicense and registration fees for county motor vehicles. Any\n\nbalance in the petty cash account after the license and registration\n\nfees have been paid shall be returned to the account or fund from\n\nwhich the funds originated. The county purchasing agent shall be\n\nthe custodian of the petty cash account, and the petty cash account\n\nshall be subject to audit.\n\nE. When the board of county commissioners approves an express\n\ntrust, pursuant to Sections 176 through 180.4 of Title 60 of the\n\nOklahoma Statutes, for the purpose of operating a county jail, the\n\ntrustees of the public trust may appoint commissioned peace\n\nofficers, certified by the Council on Law Enforcement Education and\n\nTraining, to provide security for inmates that are required to be\n\ntransported outside of the detention facility, and investigate\n\nviolations of law within the detention facility. Other personnel\n\nnecessary to operate the jail may be employed and trained or\n\ncertified as may be required by applicable state or federal law.\n\nR.L. 1910, § 1600. Amended by Laws 1949, p. 150, § 1, emerg. eff.\n\nMay 20, 1949; Laws 1982, c. 249, § 7; Laws 1989, c. 286, § 1,\n\noperative July 1, 1989; Laws 1990, c. 183, § 1; Laws 1991, c. 60, §\n\n1, emerg. eff. April 10, 1991; Laws 1993, c. 239, § 14, eff. July 1,\n\n1993; Laws 1994, c. 34, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1994; Laws 1995, c. 1, §\n\n4, emerg. eff. March 2, 1995; Laws 1995, c. 172, § 1, emerg. eff.\n\nMay 9, 1995; Laws 1996, c. 45, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 1996; Laws 1998, c.\n\n193, § 1, emerg. eff. May 4, 1998; Laws 1999, c. 76, § 1, eff. Nov.\n\n1, 1999; Laws 2000, c. 200, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2000; Laws 2001, c.\neff. April 10, 1991; Laws 1993, c. 239, § 14, eff. July 1,\n\n1993; Laws 1994, c. 34, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1994; Laws 1995, c. 1, §\n\n4, emerg. eff. March 2, 1995; Laws 1995, c. 172, § 1, emerg. eff.\n\nMay 9, 1995; Laws 1996, c. 45, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 1996; Laws 1998, c.\n\n193, § 1, emerg. eff. May 4, 1998; Laws 1999, c. 76, § 1, eff. Nov.\n\n1, 1999; Laws 2000, c. 200, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2000; Laws 2001, c.\n\n39, § 1, eff. July 1, 2001; Laws 2001, c. 231, § 1, eff. Nov. 1,\n\n2001; Laws 2002, c. 142, § 1, eff. July 1, 2002; Laws 2003, c. 387,\n\n§ 2, emerg. eff. June 4, 2003; Laws 2004, c. 5, § 5, emerg. eff.\n\nMarch 1, 2004; Laws 2005, c. 76, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2005; Laws 2006,\n\nc. 125, § 7, eff. July 1, 2006; Laws 2006, c. 255, § 2, eff. Nov. 1,\n\n2006; Laws 2010, c. 266, § 2, emerg. eff. May 13, 2010; Laws 2011,\n\nc. 1, § 9, emerg. eff. March 18, 2011; Laws 2012, c. 22, § 1, eff.\n\nNov. 1, 2012; Laws 2013, c. 15, § 11, emerg. eff. April 8, 2013;","path":["OK Code","Title 19"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os19.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"f38a7016c0b59248a157e1792dbbd0ff94c6194e18a35159a87235107d94b678","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-19-19-338","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-19-19-339.1"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}