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Watts, Oklahoma
- The Rise and Fall of a Speed Trap Town
If there is a town in Oklahoma which exemplifies our state
at its worst that town has to be Watts.
A place where government scandal was not only rampant but
apparently a way of life between 1997 and 2003.
A place were "life" itself mimics a bad movie script
combining "The Dukes of Hazzard", "The Three
Stooges" and "The Twilight Zone" and co-directed
by Francis Ford Coppola and Alfred Hitchcock.
To understand how and why we have come to hold the above view
of Watts, one needs only a bit of background information on the
town and a "time line" denoting the significant events
which occurred in Watts and those individuals that brought those
events about.
The background information is pretty simple:
Watts is a tiny town with a population of slightly over 300
(2000 census).
It is located beside US Highway 59 in Adair County in extreme
eastern Oklahoma. See Map
Watts occupies considerably less then one square mile (a little
over 1/3 sq mile) of land and contains approximately 125
residences, a post office and, in its prime, six businesses.
For additional background information on Watts, Oklahoma we
refer you to a Population Overview
and a Housing Overview both of which are based on
year 2000 census data.
Watts came to our attention in 1998 when it was listed on
"The Speed-Trap Registry", an internet site devoted to
providing references on speed-traps throughout the United
States.
As we dug deeper into the muck that is Watts, we discovered
some remarkable facts.
Facts not only about the town itself but also about government in
this town of about 300 people and 125 houses.
For example, the above references do not tell you that during
its "Hey-Day" Watts had:
A police commissioner
A police chief
4 other full time police officers
5 modern, fully equipped police cars
A municipal judge that "knocked down" at least $400
for every traffic court session he conducted
And a Police Department which during its "prime"
generated 97.5 percent of the town's total revenue
We also discovered that during its "prime", the
Watts Police Department hauled in over $20,000 per month in
traffic fines.
In some months the "take" was even higher.
Unfortunately the town was going broke in the process, as its
Board of Trustees was spending in excess of $125,000 per year on
the police department.
This while those same town officials violated various federal and
state laws, often completely ignoring both the laws and the
consequences of doing so.
For example the IRS "levied" the town of Watts for
$37,000 in back taxes owed on town employees, back taxes owed for
a number of years.
What follows is a "time line" of many of the events
in the recent history of Watts, Oklahoma and the people that made
it what it is, the laughingstock of and a major embarrassment for
the state of Oklahoma.
"Time Line of
Events"
1997:
January:
Pat Ray, long time Watts Town Clerk, was fired by the town's
Board of Trustees for neglect of duty. The Adair County District
Attorney's Office filed two felony counts of embezzlement by
a clerk against Ray alleging that she improperly over spent the
town's budget by $22,301 and failed to obtain a supplemental
appropriation while continuing to spend even more of the
town's money, some of it allegedly for her personal
expenses.
March:
A major effort begins to stop a project to pipe raw sewage from
the town of West Siloam Springs, which has no sewage treatment
facility, to the Watts sewage treatment plant. A sewage treatment
plant which did not at the time meet minimal standards set forth
by the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). The
proposed $1.25 million project would involve piping raw sewage
for miles between the two towns. The project to be financed with
a "community block grant" would include upgrades to the
Watts sewage treatment system. The Oklahoma Scenic Rivers
Commission and environmental groups oppose the plan owing to the
fact that the pipeline would run across the Illinois River to the
Watts sewage treatment plant, itself located adjacent to the
river. The Illinois River is a major tourist attraction and
revenue source for several eastern Oklahoma towns.
April:
Lisa Tennison was elected to the Watts Board of Trustees.
May:
The Oklahoma State Department of Commerce approves a community
block grant to finance the West Siloam Springs to Watts sewage
pipeline project.
June:
Opposition to the West Siloam Springs/Watts sewage project
continues to mount with numerous environmental groups and
individuals joining the Oklahoma Scenic Rivers Commission in
protesting the project. With financing for the project secured,
the only hurdle remaining for the project is approval from the
Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality.
August:
Gary Fain is hired as Watts Police Commissioner/City
Manager.
This in spite of Fain having recently "retired" from
the Oklahoma Highway Patrol while under investigation for
operating a "pyramid scheme".
The "Save the Illinois" campaign, a public relations
effort to stop the West Siloam Springs/Watts sewage transfer
project, kicks into high gear with newspaper editorials, radio
and tv ads and public meetings.
1998:
April:
A public meeting to defend the West Siloam Springs/Watts sewage
transfer project is held in West Siloam Springs. Citizen comments
on the project are requested.
September:
On-line publication, Tulsa Today, publishes an expose on Watts,
Oklahoma and the alleged "speed trap" being operated
there. The original Tulsa Today article is available at Watts Amok Following the publication of
"Watts Amok" an entire section was created on the Tulsa
Today web site to address the issues of "speed traps",
in general and the Watts speed trap in particular. That special
section is at the time of this writing still available at Speed Trap Issue Home Page
October:
Watts Police Commissioner/City Manager Gary Fain and 4 other
Adair County residents are indicted for their involvement in an
illegal "pyramid" scheme.
Indicted along with Fain were Westville, Oklahoma Town Trustee
Barbara Rose, Jerry Carte, Westville chiropractor Dr. Ronald
Abels and William Lewis a Westville insurance agent and reserve
police officer. The five were indicted by the multi-county grand
jury in Oklahoma City on one count of violating the Oklahoma
Pyramid Promotional Act and one count of conspiracy.
December:
Gary Fain along with others indicted in the "Friends Helping
Friends" pyramid scheme reject a plea-deal offered by
prosecutors and will proceed to trial.
1999:
January:
The Watts wastewater treatment plant discharges more than
300,000 gallons of partially treated wastewater into fields near
the Illinois River.
Watts Public Works Authority Superintendent Lonnie Walker wrote a
letter to the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality
stating that a lock was broken off a discharge valve at the
treatment plant and the valve had been turned on by someone.
An e-mail from Michael Dean, a spokesman for the Oklahoma
Department of Environmental Quality to Ed Brocksmith, a member of
the Oklahoma Senic Rivers Commissions alleged that Watts Police
Commissioner/City Manager Gary Fain told a DEQ engineer that he,
Fain, had told the contractors to pump the lagoons into the
river.
February:
Both the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality and the
Attorney General's office open investigations into
allegations that Watts Police Commissioner/City Manager Gary Fain
personally authorized the illegal discharge of over 300,000
gallons of partially treated wastewater in January.
Watts Mayor Phyllis Hagan informs the Oklahoma Department of
Environmental Quality by letter that the January discharge from
the Watts treatment plant was the result of a town contractor
turning on pumps to lower the water level in a wastewater storage
lagoon in order to complete his repairs faster. Hagan's
letter alleged that the contractor broke a lock on a gate leading
to the treatment plant and a lock on the lagoon release
valve.
March:
The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality rejects the
town of Watts' written explanation for the unauthorized
wastewater discharge in January and demands a revised response to
accurately describe the cause.
The Oklahoma DEQ orders the town of Watts to pay a $20,000 fine
or hire an independent third party to operate its wastewater
treatment facility.
Watts Mayor Phyllis Hagan and Town Trustee Alissa Rogers resign
from office.
Richard Snider who succeeded Phyllis Hagan as Mayor of Watts
announced that Watts does not have the money to pay a $20,000 DEQ
imposed fine or hire a third party to operate its sewage plant.
Watts requested a hearing on the matter before the DEQ. Snider
also announced that he does not intend to run for re-election and
is moving away from Watts.
Watts town officials file civil suit in the amount of $30,000
against former Town Clerk Pat Ray alleging she mis-spent the
town's money.
April:
Noah Frank Cox is elected to the Watts Board of Trustees.
September:
Owing to years of debate and inaction the proposed plan to pipe
raw sewage from West Siloam Springs and Watts is on-hold awaiting
an engineer's report. Officials from West Siloam Springs
express doubt that the project will come to pass while Watts
Mayor Roy Hammers says only, "No comment."
October:
Officials from West Siloam Springs and Watts announce that the
project to pipe raw sewage between the two towns is "dead in
the water".
November:
Watts Police Commissioner/City Manager Gary Fain pleads innocent
at his arraignment on charges arising from his involvement in the
"Friends Helping Friends" pyramid scheme during the
1996 to 1997 time frame.
December:
A settlement between the Oklahoma DEQ and the town of Watts is
announced. The agreement requires that Watts pay a $20,000 state
fine and make significant community improvements as its penalty
for an unauthorized discharge of wastewater near the Illinois
River in January.
2000:
January:
A Tulsa World report reveals that Watts Mayor Roy Hammers has
been wanted in Benton County, Arkansas since 1997 on charges
involving past due child support owed to his ex-wife.
March:
Watts businessman Curtis Ketcher sets up two lighted portable
signs on property he and his daughter own along US Highway 59
just outside the town's limits.
The signs read:
"Beware: Speed trap next 2 miles. Welcome to Watts,
Ok.".
A Tulsa World report on the signs quoted Adair County District
Attorney, Diane Barker Harrold, as follows:
"It's a well-known speed trap. I'd shut the town
of Watts down if I had the authority to do so. But I
don't."
The same report quoted Watts Police Commissioner/City Manager
Gary Fain as denying Watts operates a speed trap.
Another Tulsa World report reveals that Watts Town Trustee Noah
Frank Cox was wanted in neighboring Siloam Springs on a
misdemeanor hot check charge.
April:
Watts Mayor Roy Hammers walked out of an executive meeting of
the Watts Board of Trustees, threatening to resign.
Hammers indicated he was tired of all the fighting.
May:
Watts Police Commissioner/City Manager Gary Fain pleads guilty
to operating a pyramid scheme, "Friends Helping Friends".
The offense occurred prior to his becoming an employee of the
town of Watts.
A multi-county grand jury indicted Fain and four other Adair
County residents in September 1998 for their part in the pyramid
scheme.
Watts Mayor Roy Hammers and Board of Trustees member Lisa
Tennison both former supporters of Fain indicate that it was time
for Fain to go.
Fain's four year contract with Watts began in 1997. The
contract requires that Fain be a certified police officer. Under
Oklahoma law, Fain's guilty plea and deferred sentence
require his certification be suspended for the term of his
deferred sentence.
Mayor Hammers was quoted in an article appearing in the Tulsa
World as stating:
"I'm a Christian, and I'm going to stand up for
what's right. He needs to go."
August:
Watts Police Commissioner/City Manager Gary Fain and four others
charged for the involvement in an illegal pyramid scheme receive
deferred sentences as part of a plea-deal in Adair County
District Court. The deferred sentence means they will not face
prison time or a restitution requirement.
October:
Watts wins a $30,000 default judgment against former Town Clerk
Pat Ray.
2001:
February:
Previously fired Watts Town Clerk Pat Ray filed with the Adair
County Election board to run for the office from which she was
fired in 1997.
Debbie Neugin, who succeeded Pat Ray as Watts Town Clerk resigned
indicating she feared legal problems if town leaders continued
their spending ways.
In a Tulsa World report, Neugin was quoted as saying:
"I'm not going to end up in trouble over the
town's mistakes. The council knows they're spending money
for things that aren't in the budget because I've been
warning them for months, but they won't stop. They're
breaking the law."
Mayor Roy Hammers denies Neugin's allegations, saying the
town isn't broke and that everything the town's Board of
Trustees did was legal.
It was revealed that in December of 2000, Watts paid each of its
trustees, Police Commissioner Fain and town employees Christmas
bonuses reporteldy totalling $3,800.
Police Chief Billy Ames was demoted to patrolman and suspended
for 60 days. City Manager/Police Commissioner Gary Fain was
quoted as saying that Ames was not doing his job. Reportedly Ames
was demoted owing to a decreased number of traffic tickets being
issued.
It was revealed that hazardous chemicals confiscated during a
methamphetamine lab bust and then improperly stored in open
containers in a closet in the Watts Public Works building had
been moved. It was just that no one seemed to know to where or by
whom. The substances came to light when a former Watts patrolman
went to law enforcement and stated the chemicals had been stored
in the closet for a year. Mayor Roy Hammers stated that Police
Commissioner Fain had told him the chemicals had been moved to
police lockers and ultimately removed by "officials".
Both the Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation and the DEA, primary
organizations involved with the disposal of confiscated meth lab
chemicals, told the Tulsa World that their agencies did not
receive any such request from Watts.
April:
Pat Ray, despite having been fired previously, owing the town
$30,000 and facing two felony counts of embezzelment was
re-elected to the office of Watts Town Clerk.
In the same election Mayor Roy Hammers was defeated, as was
Trustee Pamela Hall-Osbourn.
Jerry Howell and O.J. Snyder won Hammers' and
Hall-Osbourn's boad seats. Trustee Jim Robison was
unopposed.
Prior to leaving office the departing board gave Gary Fain
another four-year contract, this point onward Fain was referred
to as "Acting Police Commissioner/City Manager".
As the newly elected officials waited to take their oath of
office, a Watts resident filed a protest to the special meeting
called to swear in the counselors and town clerk. The protester
pointed out that while Oklahoma law required a 48 hour notice of
such meetings the special meeting had been announced only 24
hours earlier. The counselors were sworn in in spite of the
protest. Pat Ray, the re-elected town clerk, left the special
meeting before the being sworn in.
May:
The family homestead of Watts Trustee Lisa Tennison burned to the
ground under suspicious circumstances. The home, owned by her
brother, was in the process of being sold at the time of the
fire. The Oklahoma State Fire Marshall's Office determined
that the fire was the result of arson. Tennison told the Tulsa
World that she believed that the fire was in retaliation for her
involvement with a grand jury petition then being circulated and
calling for an investigation into events in Watts and Adair
County.
It was also revealed that Tennison, despite being a member of
the Watts Board of Trustees, was actually residing in Siloam
Springs, Arkansas.
Re-elected Watts Town Clerk Pat Ray refuses to take office within
the time frame specified following her election in April.
Acting City Manager Gary Fain indicates that the town counsel
will appoint someone to fill the vacant office.
A heated debate breaks out at the town board meeting between
Trustee O.J. Snyder and Acting City Manager Gary Fain over the
town's reputation as a "speed trap". Fain and the
police department wanted a new police car and Snyder opposed the
purchase. Snyder was quoted as saying, "let's get a
new car so we can give some poor old boy on his way to work a
ticket. Everybody in Oklahoma knows this town's a speed
trap. The two men ultimately made a wager in the amount of
$1,000 on whether the speed limit on US Highway 59 which runs
past Watts could be raised, with Fain arguing it could not be
raised. At the time of this debate speeding tickets issued by the
Watts Police Department totaled over $20,000 per month.
June:
When petitions seeking a grand jury investigation of Watts,
Westville and the district attorney's office were turned in
there was an insufficient number of signatures to support calling
the grand jury. Watts Trustee Lisa Tennison was quoted in news
reports as saying that although sufficient signatures had been
gathered, not all petitions were turned in, as those running the
petition drive came to a "consensus" and that people
were "scared".
At a regular town board meeting the new members attempted and
failed to fire Acting City Manager Gary Fain, Acting Town Clerk
Lois Payne, Town Attorney Barrett Harris and Board of Trustees
member Lisa Tennison. Several of those the new members sought to
fire had hired lawyers and threatened to fight the ouster attempt
with law suits. News reporters seeking background on the
attempted firings discovered that the new Mayor of Watts, Jerry
Howell, could not be contacted owing to the fact he did not have
a telephone.
It was revealed at the same meeting that the town's water
system has lost 2.9 million gallons of water the previous
month.
It was also revealed that board member Lisa Tennison, after
having resided in Arkansas for a period of time, rented a mobile
home within the Watts town limits.
The issue of Christmas bonuses once again surfaced when it was
revealed that the previous year all four trustees were given $500
bonuses while the city manager, the former town clerk, the former
water superintendent, the former police chief and the former
assistant police chief all received $300 bonuses. Bonuses were
also paid to part-time help and other police officers. The total
in Christmas bonuses paid out by the cash strapped town was
$3,575. Another debate broke out over whether the bonuses were a
"budgeted item", with former Mayor Roy Hammers claiming
they were. An outside consultant that helps with the Watts budget
claims the items were not budgeted and revealed that he had not
seen a financial report from the town since March. According to a
Tulsa World report there is no mention of any bonuses in the
minutes of the town meetings.
July:
At the next town board meeting, Mayor Jerry Howell and Town
Trustees O.J. Snyder and Robison failed to show up and Gary Fain
sent the police to look for them. The problem with "missing
water" from the Watts water system only grew worse as in
July as the loss was reported to total 3.3 million gallons. Watts
purchases water from Siloam Springs, Arkansas and resells it to
residents and business in Watts. The town's "water
bill" had jumped from $5,000 per month to almost $9,000 per
month and no one seemed to have a clue where the water was going.
Fain said he was restricting new water hookups.
Announcement was made that the town's "master water
meter" was to be replaced. This in hopes of solving the
mystery of the "missing water". The amount of
"missing water" was in excess of 25,000 gallons
per-day.
August:
The water situation in Watts continued to worsen and the water in
parts of the community slowed to a trickle and then basically
dried. Angry water system customers showed up with buckets in
hand at the Watts city hall demanding water and the Police Chief
filled the buckets using a water hose at the police department.
Some customers indicated that they had received only 1 or 2
gallons of water in a two week period and indicated that the
water problems had existed for over a year. City Manager Gary
Fain indicated he understood the citizens anger but indicated
that the water problems were not easy to solve and announced that
voluntary water rationing would go into effect. Watts Water
Superintendent Tommy Guthrie indicated that during July Watts was
billed for 6 million gallons of water and billed its customers
for only 2.5 million gallons, leaving 3.5 million gallons of
water "missing".
With help from Terry Ingham of the Oklahoma Rural Water
Association a major leak in the Watts water system was discovered
during testing. Ingham, Fain and Water Superintendent Tommy
Guthrie conducted late-night testing to determine a major water
leak in a line just outside Watts.
Watts faced a deadline to pay the remaining $17,000 of a $20,000
fine imposed on the town by the Oklahoma Department of
Environmental Quality for a wastewater spill that occurred two
years earlier. Watts had only paid $3,000 of the fine thus far
and managed to strike a deal with the Oklahoma DEQ, a deal which
would permit Watts to spend the remaining $17,000 of the fine on
municipal projects to better the town.
Water Superintendent Tommy Guthrie under fire for the problems
with the Watts water system walked off the job. Darrell King was
hired to replace Guthrie. King, City Manager Gary Fain and
members of Fain's family were left to dig up and repair the
leaking water line discovered earlier.
It was also discovered that part of the recent water shortage was
owing to apparent sabotage to a computer system which monitored
the water level in the town's two water storage tanks. The
monitoring system had been disabled permitting the two tanks to
fill to the point of over-flowing.
Mayor Jerry Howell and Trustees Jim Robison and O.J. Snyder
attempted for the third time to fire City Manager Gary Fain,
however they tabled the action until September. The firing was
postponed when the crowd in the meeting room became out of
control. Fain's attorney, James Potts Jr., told the board
that if it fired Fain, he would sue the town within 48 hours.
A special town board meeting was scheduled on the issue of
whether the town could appoint Lois Payne as the town clerk
because former Town Clerk Pat Ray, elected after being charged
with embezzlement, didn't take office. The special meeting
would also address efforts by board member Lisa Tennison to force
the removal of the three new board members who were calling for
Fain's firing, claiming they were guilty of malfeasance of
office.
New town board members discovered that the town owes the IRS more
than $45,000 in back taxes on the town's employees and
announced the board intends to hold a due process hearing on City
Manager Gary Fain. The hearing will also address motions by board
members Jim Robison and Lisa Tennison calling for each
other's removal from the town board.
The meeting to address the due process hearing on Fain is
adjourned after only 10 minutes when lawyers for Fain and the
town could not appear. Earlier in the day town trustee Lias
Tennison resigned from the town board citing it's proposed
action against Fain.
Just before the meeting to address the firing of City Manager
Gary Fain, state agents seized records from the town of Watts.
Records seized were those applicable to traffic fines and amounts
owed and paid to the Council on Law Enforcement Education and
Training.
The three newest members of the town board voted to fire City
Manager Gary Fain. Voting against the firing was Trustee Frank
Cox, who threw paperwork across the desk, announced he too was
resigning and stormed out of the meeting. Lisa Tennison had
resigned a week earlier. Fain cleared out his office the
following day. Fain's attorney, James Potts, announced that
he plans to file a lawsuit for damages in excess of $100,000.
Tennison told the three remaining board members that they would
be off the board soon. Trustee O.J. Snyder had a verbal
confrontation with a Watts resident following the meeting and was
cited by the Watts Police Department for misdemeanor terroristic
threatening.
September:
Former Watts Police Chief Billy Ames, fired earlier in 2001, wins
a back-pay judgment against the town of Watts in the amount of
$4,900. Ames claimed he was owed $2,000 in sick leave, $2,000 in
back holiday pay and $900 in attorney fees. He won the case in
Adair County District Court by "default" when the Watts
town attorney failed to show up in court.
The Watts Board of Trustees appoints a new member, Arlene
Tonsing, to replace Lisa Tennison who resigned earlier. The board
did not replace Frank Cox who earlier stormed out of a meeting
saying he resigned as Cox had a change of heart and indicated he
was staying on the board.
Fired town manager Gary Fain's attorney, James Potts Jr.,
filed suit in federal court in Muskogee claiming that Trustees
Jim Robison, O.J. Snyder and Mayor Jerry Howell violated
Fain's rights to a due process hearing by failing to properly
notify Fain of the hearing and also in the conduct of the
hearing.
Town trustees announce that they are considering putting the
municipal water utility in the hands of an outside management
company to deal with the water system's continuing
problems.
In an emergency meeting town trustees temporarily hired Janet
Huffman to fill in for temporary town clerk Lois Payne. Payne who
was at the time on medical leave had previously replaced Clerk
Debbie Neugin who resigned earlier after being hired to fill the
job for which Pat Ray was elected and refused to take office.
October:
It was announced that a special November election to fill the job
of Town Clerk would not be required as only a single candidate,
Janet Huffman, had filed to run for the office. Huffman will
automatically assume the office of Town Clerk and fill the
unexpired term of Pat Ray who as elected and failed to take
office.
Town Trustees announced that with only $2,000 in the town's
general fund and a $2,900 insurance premium due on the towns 5
police cars that the cars would be parked and that the Adair
County Sheriff's Office would have to be called upon to
patrol the town. It was also revealed that one of the police cars
was to be sold at auction and that the remaining 4 cars cost the
town $1,800 per month in lease payments. This while the
town's police department was down to 3 officers.
The IRS issued a notice to the town of Watts that it owed $37,000
in back payroll taxes. The IRS assigned Agent Homer Walker to
investigate the town's unpaid tax liabilities and Walker
informed the town via letter than unless Watts paid $7,752 to the
IRS immediately that a tax levy would be filed against the town.
Walker's letter indicated that no payments had been received
on the tax debt since November, 2000.
In an emergency meeting Watts Town Trustees laid off the entire
Watts Police Department consisting of the police chief, assistant
chief, a patrol officer and the warrant officer. The municipal
judge Rex Earl Starr was also laid off. The layoffs were
attributed to the town's inability to pay workman's
compensation premiums totalling $12,000 on the workers. It was
also revealed that the town was four months behind in lease
payments on its police cars. Law enforcement responsibilities in
Watts were turned over to the Adair County Sheriff's
Office.
Adair County Sheriff Charles Hartshorne held a community meeting
in Watts and urged town residents to form a community watch group
and pledged to help in any way he could, even if it meant
patrolling himself. He then went on to state that the
sheriff's department would use the Watts police station as a
substation but would not be patrolling the town full time. The
sheriff indicated that his deputies had been writing tickets on
US Highway 59 in an effort to control speeding.
November:
Watts Town Clerk, Janette Huffman, was quoted in a Tulsa World
report as indicating that someone had broken into an
"evidence locker" at the former Watts Police Department
and made off with bags of drugs which were being held as
evidence. According to Huffman, two bags containing marijuana and
a third bad containing other drugs were missing. Huffman
indicated that the evidence had not been sent for lab examination
and that guns and other items also stored in the locker were
undisturbed. Huffman also indicated that the remaining evidence
was moved to a "secure location".
Adair County Assistant District Attorney Jeff Jones stated that
charges were likely in connection with allegations that Watts
didn't pay the Council on Law Enforcement Education Training
its share of traffic tickets. Jones indicated that it might be
months before an audit of Watts traffic tickets was
completed.
Watts Town Trustees announced that the monthly water rate would
increase from $15 to $18 in December. It was also revealed that
the Watts water system had lost $21,000 during the current year
and was $10,000 in debt in its reserve accounts and $30,000 in
its meter deposit account. The water loss from the system the
prior month was announced to be 1.3 million gallons.
December:
Town Clerk Janette Huffman indicated that the town's
"water loss" had been cut from 31 percent to 12 percent
in the past month resulting in a savings of $2,000 for the town.
At one time the town was loosing 53% of the water it purchased
for resale to town residents. Since taking over as town clerk
Huffman had been over-hauling the town's water billing system
and discovered that eight customers had been getting water
without being billed, six of them for over a year. Huffman
indicated that those that had not been paying for their water had
better make arrangements to pay the bill or face a shut-off of
service.
Town Clerk Janette Huffman donated her paycheck to the town of
Watts, permitting the town to makes its September payment to the
Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training. Trustee Jim
Robison was quoted as saying that Huffman's generosity saved
the town.
2002:
January:
It was reported a state audit of Watts traffic tickets was almost
complete and that the town owes the Council on Law Enforcement
Education Training $20,000 in back payments. The town was
supposed to be making regular payments to CLEET for its share of
fines for traffic violations that had been collected in Watts. No
payment to CLEET had been made since November, 2000 and earlier
payments were reportedly falsified to reflect far fewer tickets
than were actually issued.
Town trustees rehired Raymond Jones as warrants officer to
collect more than $175,000 in delinquent traffic fines. Town
Clerk Janette Huffman was quoted as saying that after months of
work she had discovered at least $175,000 in outstanding fines
and that more may be discovered once town records seized by state
agents are returned. It was also revealed that three of the
town's police cars had been repossessed leaving the town with
only one police car.
Watts Mayor Jerry Howell and Trustee Jim Robison worked out a
deal with the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality to
extend the payment period on a fine lodged against the community
in 1999 for a wastewater spill. Watts had failed to abide by an
earlier agreement with DEQ. In 1999, 100,000 gallons of
wastewater was dumped onto the banks of the Illinois River. The
town was cited and given until August 2001 to make $17,000 in
capital improvements and pay a $3,000 fine. The fine was paid
however the capitol improvements were never made. The new deal
with DEQ will allow the town to pay $400 per month for 25 months
to DEQ in lieu of a $24,000 cash fine. The town also agreed to
make $14,000 in capital improvements within three years.
February:
The final report of an audit conducted by the state auditor's
office indicated that Watts did infact own $20,000 to the Council
on Law Enforcement Education and Training. The audit report also
indicated that former Watts Town Clerk Debbie Neugin's claims
that Watts had been under-paying its CLEET fees was factual.
Neugin resigned from her position last year and told authorities
that former City Manager/Police Commissioner Gary Fain had
instructed her not to make full payments to CLEET. Current Town
Clerk Janette Huffman indicated that the audit cost the town of
Watts $10,000 and that she does not know how the town will pay
for it. Fain's attorney J.R. Potts Jr. stated that Fain
denies all allegations and would make no further comment at the
time.
The Internal Revenue Service filed a $37,000 lien against the
town of Watts.
Watts Trustees announced they were considering filing corporate
bankruptcy for the town, this in light of mounting debts and no
way to pay them. Among others Watts owes the IRS $37,000, CLEET
$20,000, the State Auditor's Office $10,000 and DEQ $17,000.
A bankruptcy action would basically dissolve the town's
government and the town along with it. Trustees were scheduled to
meet with the town lawyer prior to making a final decision on
filing bankruptcy.
Former Watts Town Clerk Pat Ray charged with two felony counts of
embezzlement pleaded guilty and received a two-year deferred
sentence and was ordered to pay $817.45 in restitution to the
town plus court costs.
March:
Town trustees decided against filing for bankruptcy, at least
while they try to collect $170,000 in delinquent fines in an
effort to keep the town's government afloat. In February,
trustees voted to pursue filing bankruptcy and agreed to turn the
Watts Public Works Authority into a rural water district because
the town couldn't pay its debts.
June:
Watts Trustees and former City Manager/Police Commissioner Gary
Fain reached a settlement in Fain's wrongful termination
lawsuit against the town. The details of the settlement were not
released however town trustees issued a statement which
indicated, ""The board of trustees for the town of
Watts hereby acknowledges that no criminal or civil wrongdoing
has been proven in a court of law against Mr. Gary Fain acting in
his capabilities as town employee.".
September:
Prosecutors in Adair County announced they will not file felony
charges against former Watts City Director Gary Fain after an
audit showed that more than $20,000 was missing from the
town's coffers. Prosecutors indicated that there is
insufficient evidence proving any criminal intent on Fain's
part.
Former Police Chief Billy Ames froze the town's bank accounts
after $5,000 was deposited to pay the Police Department's
debt to the state workers compensation fund. Ames earlier won a
default judgment against the town for over $4,000. Town Clerk
Janette Huffman indicated that the account is back under the
control of the town and that the $5,000 payment has been
made.
October:
Mike Johnson is hired as Police Chief of Watts giving the town a
two man police force.
December:
Former Watts Mayor Roy Hammers and his wife Rosalyn Hammers were
arrested in Siloam Springs, Arkansas on outstanding hot check
warrants. Arkansas authorities alleged that at the time of his
arrest Roy Hammers was in possession of enough methamphetamine to
charge him with intent to distribute. Authorities indicated that
Rosalyn Hammers would be charged with possession of a controlled
dangerous substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Watts Town Trustees called in the Oklahoma State Bureau of
Investigation in an effort to determine who is responsible for
$70,000 missing from the town's coffers. Earlier the State
Auditor's Office had determined that the town owed the
Council on Law Enforcement and Educational Training $20,000,
money which was "missing". A second audit by another
auditor and costing Watts $5,000 determined that $50,000 was
missing from the Watts Public Works Authority trust account for
the year 2000. Town Clerk Janette Huffman indicated she has
canceled checks and other documents which prove that money was
being taken illegally from the town's accounts.
2003:
January:
Town Clerk Janette Huffman told Trustees that she's
struggling to pay the town's two police officers and that
Watts can't afford to pay its police officers and keep up
with the monthly bills. Huffman who takes a paycheck only when
the town can afford it said she wasn't going to jeopardize
the town's accounts in order to satisfy its officers. Police
Chief Mike Johnson complained about the lack of a paycheck
indicating that when he was hired three months earlier he agreed
to wait on his pay until the town got back on its feet. However,
he said that he thought the agreement was only for the first
month. He said he didn't know it was going to be an on-going
thing.
March:
The Watts town attorney reveals that the town has a $7,000
default judgment against former Police Chief Billy Ames who has a
default $4,900 judgment against the town. Ames was paid $7,000 in
January of 2001 on a claim for over-time due. Only after the
previous Board of Trustees paid the claim did members realize
that Ames was serving in a supervisory position and under the
terms of his employment not entitled to over-time pay.
The town of Watts hires another police officer, David Jones.
April:
Watts Town Trustee Jim Robison is arrested by Watts Police
Officers on allegations of domestic abuse of his wife.
An elderly Arkansas couple, L.L. Tevebaugh and Irene Tevebaugh
both in their middle 80's announced they intend to sue Watts
claiming three police officers assaulted them and pulled guns
during a traffic stop. The incident involved new Watts police
officer David Jones and two officers from West Siloam Springs. Mr
Tevebaugh was arrested for speeding, resisting arrest and eluding
a police officer. His wife was arrested for aiding and abetting.
All criminal charges against the Tevebaughs were dropped by the
district attorney's office and the speeding ticket was tossed
out of municipal court when Officer Jones admitted he was not
trained to operate a radar gun.
Watts Police Chief Mike Johnson said he will sue the Tevebaughs
for slander and defamation of character.
June:
Watts Town Trustees vote to shut down the Watts Police Department
for the second time in two years. Town officials said the
town's police officers were resigning however Police Chief
Mike Johnson claim the officers were fired and that the closure
of the police department was "personal" and owing to
the department's refusal to play favorites for certain
trustees. A Watts Trustee was quoted in news media reports as
saying, "I've been hearing the word potential for 50
years and this damn one-horse town isn't going anywhere but
downhill. We need security guards, not a police
department."
Watts Trustees announce they had decided to pay two of the
town's police officers who were fired last week when trustees
voted to shut down the Police Department. Town Clerk Janette
Huffman said she made a "good faith" payment to former
Chief Johnson and patrol officer Jones to show them that they
were going to get all pay coming. The town owes the officer for
67 hours of back wages and Huffman indicated the men would be
paid as soon as the town has enough money to pay them. A third
police officer, hired only 1 week earlier was not paid as he was
off at military training at the time.
July:
Watts Town Trustee Jim Robison is charged with public
intoxication after he showed up at the Adair County Court House
for a hearing in the April domestic abuse case and caused a
disturbance. Robinson having failed to attend the last four town
trustee meetings is subject to being removed from the board.
Watts Town Trustee Jim Robison is arrested by West Siloam Springs
Police on charges of possession of marijuana and possession of
drug paraphernalia following a traffic stop of US Highway 412.
Watts Town Trustee Jim Robison is charged in Siloam Springs,
Arkansas with making a terroristic threat for allegedly following
his ex-wife around, taking photographs of her and then
threatening to do her harm.
A petition is circulated in Watts calling for the ouster of Board
of Trustee member Jim Robison on the grounds of moral
turpitude.
August:
Watts Town Trustee Jim Robison pleads guilty to a charge of
possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia in West Siloam
Springs, Oklahoma and was fined $474.
Watts Town Trustee Jim Robison pleads guilty to a misdemeanor
charge of harassment in the Siloam Springs, Arkansas case and is
fined $300.
September:
Former Watts Mayor Roy Hammers received a diverted one-year
sentence on charges of delivery of a controlled substance,
methamphetamine in Benton County Arkansas. Hammers and his wife
Rosalyn were arrested in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, in 2002.
Prosecutors dropped charges against Rosalyn Hammers but with an
option to refile. Roy Hammers received the diverted sentence on
the condition that no new charges are filed against him within a
year.
When his fellow Watts Board of Trustee members refused to remove
Jim Robison from the board, local citizens presented a petition
calling for his removal to the Adair County District Attorney.
The petitioners claim that Robison has been arrested a total of
five times since January of 2003 and has failed to attend board
meetings since June 9th.
Watts Town Trustee Jim Robison was found guilty in a non-jury
trial on a charge of domestic abuse, sentenced to 30 days in jail
and was escorted directly to the Adair County Jail to begin his
sentence. Robison also was scheduled to stand trial on two counts
of misdemeanor assault and battery but those cases were
rescheduled.
Former Watts Mayor Roy Hammers and his wife Rosalyn were arrested
in a drug raid on their Watts home. The raid was conducted by the
Adair County Sheriff's Office. The Hammers were charged with
possession of a controlled dangerous substance, methamphetamine,
possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a firearm
while in the commission of a felony.
October:
The Watts Board of Trustees after having delayed taking action
against board member Jim Robison finally got around to voting him
off the board. At the time of the vote Robison was serving his 30
day sentence in the Adair County Jail following his conviction
for abusing his ex-wife. Board members voted to leave the seat
formerly held by Robison vacant until the 2004 election.
The Watts Board of Trustees voted to hold a special election on
the question of raising the town's sales tax rate. The rate
hasn't been raised since 1970 and the town is about $100,000
in debt to state and federal agencies. Town Clerk Janette Huffman
told board members that Watts currently collects approximately
$1,000 per month in sales taxes from the six businesses operating
within the Watts town limits.
Commentary:
Many small towns and cities experience "growing
pains".
Some even experience discord, scandal and corruption.
However, few of them descend into the "muck" as did
Watts, Oklahoma during the period between 1997 and 2003.
Looking back at what happened in Watts, it is obvious that
greed and a desire to "strike it rich with a speed
trap" played large roles in the downfall of the
town.
Also it is apparent that a false sense of
"self-righteousness" on the part of town officials led
them to not only make numerous mistakes but to also ignore the
consequences of those mistakes.
Much of the "blame" for the downfall of Watts
rests upon its elected leaders. However the residents of Watts
are also responsible as they saw fit to elect to office a pack of
incompetents, scoundrels and criminals that in a few short years
took the town to the brink of bankruptcy while figuratively
promising to line the streets with gold.
What is ahead for Watts?
At this stage no one knows for sure.
What is apparent is that the town of Watts, Oklahoma is
smothered under a debt load which will likely require twenty or
more years to pay off at the rate the debt is currently being
paid down.
What can be learned from the "Watts Fiasco"?
Several lessons come to mind:
Do not hire as police commissioner a person that is under
investigation for criminal activity.
Do not re-elect to office a person previously removed from
office for embezzlement.
Do not elect as town trustee a person that resides in another
town or worse another state.
Do not elect as mayor a person that claims to be "a
Christian" yet has long outstanding warrants.
Do not elect to office persons that will conduct illegal wagers
in the midst of town meetings.
Do not maintain on the town board a person that is a "one
man crime wave".
Do not elect to office or hire anyone that proposes to use
"traffic fines" as a revenue source.
That these "lessons" are obvious to anyone with a
functioning brain should be explained to the residents/voters of
Watts, Oklahoma as they seem to have missed them somewhere along
the way.
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