Tuesday election holds key to city’s future

March 29, 2008 11:26 pm

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The upcoming municipal elections come at a pivotal point for Muskogee, its residents and their elected officials.
The City Council’s decision this past week to delay action on the appointment of directors to the City of Muskogee Foundation placed an even bigger burden on at least two new council members and maybe more.
The foundation’s directing board will consist of City Manager Greg Buckley, Muskogee’s next mayor, two city councilors and nine members of the community appointed by the City Council.
The board, once selected, will have final authority in deciding how proceeds from the Muskogee Regional Medical Center lease will be invested. The foundation’s directors also will decide how the interest earned from that investment will be used “to improve the quality of life for of residents of the city and surrounding areas.”
While many residents agree these are exciting times for Muskogee and see a bright future ahead, there are plenty of others who have concerns about how the city and its elected officials will move forward.
Barbara Brown, a pastor of two local churches affiliated with the United Methodist Church, said she is concerned the interests of some segments of society lack representation in Muskogee. When it comes to organizations as important as the city’s charitable foundation, Brown said, officials need to take extra care to make sure all voices are heard.
“When you read in the newspaper or hear of things happening in the community, it seems to me there are sections of the community that are not being included,” said Brown, who moved to Muskogee about three years ago. “If there is a voice (representing minority populations), it tends to be the same voices we have heard for years.”
Brown said the issue of inclusiveness is one that will motivate her decisions Tuesday at the ballot box. Brown and other Muskogee voters will be casting votes for mayor and three ward representatives.
Based upon the responses of five mayoral candidates who took part in a recent debate, Brown’s concerns about inclusion may not be a top priority.
Responding to a question from the audience about the possibility of a racial divide in Muskogee, all five mayoral candidates denied the existence of racial problem in Muskogee. Those statements, however, were qualified.
“If I look at the diverse student body at Muskogee High School, I would say no,” Ron Venters Sr. said about the existence of racial problems. “I do think there is a lack of opportunities for some citizens.”
Hershel McBride, who is jockeying to seize the mayoral post he left in 2006 due to health concerns, said if racial problems exist in Muskogee, those problems are less extensive than what one might find in other cities.
John Tyler Hammons, a recent Muskogee High School graduate, said Muskogee has “worked past” any racial divides that may have existed. Hammons cited the racial and ethnic diversity of his circle of friends, and said “opportunities are unlimited” regardless of race or ethnicity.
Glynda Oliver denied the existence of a racial problem in Muskogee, but she said anyone who is confronted by a racist individual should “turn around” and ignore it.
Barney Taylor, touting diversity as “one of our greatest strengths,” said he believes Muskogee’s racial problems are minimal.
“But all it takes is one fool to do something stupid,” Taylor said. “We must stand ready and be vigilant to guard against” racial or ethnic division.
The prospect of having a new revenue stream — made possible as a result of the hospital lease and the city’s charitable foundation — has spurred a lot of talk about economic development during the 2008 election cycle.
Muskogee resident Ron Slauenwhite, a retiree who stays active through his involvement with several civic organizations, said Muskogee is poised for greatness.
“I have talked to people who have lived here a long time,” said Slauenwhite, who moved to Muskogee after retiring from an insurance company he operated in Connecticut. “They say that they haven’t seen it this good in a long time.”
Slauenwhite said accessibility to the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System, railroads and highways makes Muskogee ideally situated for economic expansion.
Assessing the slate of candidates on Tuesday’s ballot, Slauenwhite said he is looking for candidates who recognize the city’s potential and take advantage of it.
“I am looking for somebody with vision,” Slauenwhite said. “I think we can really do some great things if we invest in the infrastructure needed to attract new businesses.”
During the mayoral debate this past week, one resident concerned about businesses taking advantage of tax breaks and then leaving urged candidates to be wary of offering incentives to lure new businesses.
Venters, an employment specialist with Workforce Oklahoma, said part of Muskogee’s vision for the future should be to cultivate the pool of employees and diversify the local economy.
“When you have talent, you don’t have to go wag the dog’s tail,” Venters said about the importance of a skilled labor pool. “Businesses come looking for you.”
Taylor and Hammons said the way to attract new business is by cultivating cultural events and having the capacity to provide entertainment opportunities the employees who would live and work in Muskogee.
McBride, who was mayor when the city lured then lost two big corporations, and Hammons said incentives are necessary to compete.
Defending the use of incentives, McBride said reasons beyond the city’s control — the North American Free Trade Act and the terror attacks in September 2001 — contributed to the loss of those employers. McBride said both those companies — Waterloo and Summit — left before fully taking advantage of the incentives that brought them to Muskogee.
While the candidates and some residents talk about opportunity and greatness, there are others who say those discussions must be buffered by reality.
Ronnie Stroud, an antiques dealer who has lived in Muskogee for about 20 years, said the candidates largely have ignored his primary concerns: crime and public safety.
Stroud said those who talk about how great the city is probably don’t stray too far from the city’s major arterial streets.
“They don’t see the same town a lot of us see,” Stroud said about some Muskogee neighborhoods through which he would be afraid to let his mother or wife walk alone.
Stroud said he is proud to call Muskogee his home. That pride, Stroud said, is what drives his concern about the city’s direction and has sparked an interest in the upcoming election. Stroud said he especially is concerned about the appearance that some of the candidates “just want to get their hands on some of that money” from the hospital lease.
“We’re tired of most of them, we’re tired of the same old thing,” Stroud said about one councilwoman’s recent comments about who would serve on the charitable foundation’s board of directors. “We want more and expect more. We want people who don’t already have their fingers in the pie.”
Despite his criticisms, Stroud said he is interested in some of the candidates and the platforms from which they are running. But he is concerned those candidates may face an uphill battle in the city’s at-large elections, which many believe dilute the support of candidates favored in their own districts but lack that support in other areas.
“My life is so much better than it was when I moved here, and still I try to improve myself everyday,” Stroud said. “That’s what we expect from our city and elected officials.”

2008 candidates
The ballot for Muskogee’s 2008 municipal elections provide the names of the following candidates for the mayoral race and three contested ward positions:
Mayor
John Hammons.
Hershel McBride.
Glynda Oliver.
Barney Taylor.
Robert Thomas.
Ron Venters Sr.
Ward II.
Frank Borovetz Jr.*
Shawn Raper.
Ivory Vann.
Ward III
Dale Boots Jr.
Robert Perkins.*
Ward IV
Jackie DeWayne Luckey.
Barry Alexander Rader III.
Darren Thomas Shrum.
Troy Stoutermire.*
* Incumbent.
SOURCE: Muskogee City Clerk

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