Owasso Residents Ask For Transparency In Consideration Of City Manager's Fate

Owasso City Councilors called a special meeting Friday night. They've been talking about the city manager who's currently on paid suspension, and there's still no word yet on whether he'll be allowed to keep his job.

And some residents are asking for a little more transparency in the process.

City officials say we'll never hear about what has been discussed in the backroom about Owasso City Manager Rodney Ray, because it's confidential. For three weeks now Owasso City Manager Rodney Ray has been on paid administrative leave, pending an internal investigation by the city council.

This is not the first time this week the city council has gone into a secret executive session to talk about Ray.

6/18/2013 Related Story: Owasso City Council Discusses Fate Of Embattled City Manager

"We may not need to know all the details of what's going on, but right now just give us an idea of what all this stuff is being talked about," said Owasso resident Michael Bulger.

People who live across the street from the city hall say they want more transparency from elected officials.

"If they're going to replace the city manager, say it. We're looking at resumes, but don't just keep everybody in the dark," Bulger said. "That's what they're doing in Washington and it's getting them in trouble. Now, it's starting to do it on a local level, as well."

The city council is looking into wether Ray asked for a police video of Vice Mayor Chris Kelley to be deleted and if Ray improperly handled a private donation from a reserve police officer.

Earlier this week, Ray was spotted at a Tulsa County Courthouse for a scheduled hearing about another matter. He was charged with writing a bad check and for filing a false police report about it.

Officials say meetings like these require an action item to vote on, and that was not the plan for Friday night.

"In an executive session, they adjourn and they go into closed quarters and they meet, and everything that's said back there is confidential, so it's not privy to the public," said City of Owasso spokesperson Chelsea Levo.

"And when they come back out there's no action item on the agenda tonight, so they'll adjourn and we'll go home."