Howe hires Coats as new police chief

Howe hires Coats as new police chief

The Howe Board of Trustees hired Corey Coats as the new Chief of Police for Howe at $16 per hour during Thursday’s regularly scheduled meeting.

The Board also approved paying $5,000 to Kiamichi Tech for Coats’ CLEET training. After completion of the course, his pay rate would increase to $18 per hour.

Heida Couch, a CPA, presented audit options for the town. The first is a full financial audit, reviewing all records. The second is a procedure which would be more limited and her firm would not give an opinion, but would provide the town with findings of the process of financial records. The full financial audit would be a minimum of $5,000 and the agreed upon procedure would be $3,500 with $100 per hour preparation of financial records with an estimate of eight hours needed.

A motion was made for The Board chose not to go forward with the audits until gas was being sold again in the town. Typically, the gas revenue is $1,300 per year so the audits are more expensive than revenue.

After a second motion failed, the Board chose instead to engage with Couch for an audit of 23-24 for the estimated cost of $4,300. All were in favor and the motion carried.

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