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Legislature had part to play in treasurer vacancy

Former Osage Nation Treasurer Sam Alexander sounds off in Letter to the Editor.

By Samuel Alexander

As a former treasurer of the Osage Nation, I took an oath of office in front of Honorable Marvin Stepson in May 2016. It Is my recollection in the oath was to forever uphold the Osage Constitution and a responsibility to the Osage people. Not during my term of office but forever. I take this oath seriously and I believe my observations are relevant.

No financial professional is going to knowingly engage in a scenario where his qualifications and judgment are questioned by unqualified individuals. My term ended prematurely because I did not argue with anyone. I was respectful but not to the point of getting shoved around.

It was a genuine pleasure and an honor to serve for the limited time of such a prestigious and historical tribal government. I had excellent employees and met wonderful Osage people to enjoy the rest of my life. I regret my term ended prematurely.

The Osage people have so many wonderful citizens from all levels of society. They can and should do a better job of electing their legislature.

Certain legislators traditionally carry an attitude and presence harmful to tribal administrative continuity. As part of that, the legislature lacks proper respect for professionals including past treasurers; all of whom are experienced certified public accountants licensed to practice.

Separation of powers violations and legislative interference resulted in two expensive lawsuits. While the court system clarified these issues, informed independent financial professionals know and have avoided the chaos.

From May 2016 to September 2018, a qualified treasurer was in place. The controller and medical clinic accounting specialist were both young Osage certified public accountants acquiring valuable experience. Monthly accounting and interim financial statements were produced, and the financial audits were completed on time.

The legislature ended this fiscal management teamwork and effort. The two young Osage CPA’s are gone. Read the pertinent minutes and understand the votes. Read and understand the Supreme Court cases [Standing Bear vs. Whitehorn, Standing Bear vs. Pratt]. To suggest the present administration is solely responsible for the treasurer vacancy and instability in financial reporting is simply untrue.

Samuel Alexander
Tulsa, Okla.

Author

  • Osage News Staff

    Stories that are not primarily written by an Osage News staff member will have a “Osage News” byline. These stories include press releases and other community content that was drafted by someone externally but reviewed and approved for publication by Osage News. As an independent news organization, we strive to report news and information with fairness and balance. While being the official news organization of the Osage Nation, we base our news judgements on our loyalties to our readers and Osage citizens, and we are not directly beholden to the Executive, Legislative, or Judicial branches of the Osage Nation.

Osage News Staff
Osage News Staffhttps://osagenews.org
Stories that are not primarily written by an Osage News staff member will have a “Osage News” byline. These stories include press releases and other community content that was drafted by someone externally but reviewed and approved for publication by Osage News. As an independent news organization, we strive to report news and information with fairness and balance. While being the official news organization of the Osage Nation, we base our news judgements on our loyalties to our readers and Osage citizens, and we are not directly beholden to the Executive, Legislative, or Judicial branches of the Osage Nation.
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