Join us Sat. March 26, 10 am to noon, for the second in a series of free public meetings to explore City Charter Change: What’s Best for Tulsa?
Dr. Kenneth Hicks, head of the Department of History and Political Science at Rogers State University, will speak about the various proposals that could face Tulsa voters this fall that would change the way our city officials are elected and how our city is run.
Greg Bledsoe, Tulsa employment and civil rights attorney, will speak against a proposal to create at-large city council seats. He represents the organization Tulsans Defending Democracy which has long opposed at-large representation.
The meeting will take place from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., Saturday, Mar. 26, at Hardesty Library, 8316 E. 93rd St. The public is invited and encouraged to attend.
Municipal Election Reform
The Tulsa League was very involved in amending the City of Tulsa Charter in 1989, when voters approved a change that brought district representation by city councilors and established our current strong mayor/city council form of government.
There are now several competing proposals for changing city government that include:
• Non-partisan elections rather than the current partisan elections
• Returning city council terms to two-years with all councilors running at the same time
• A city manager/weak mayor form of government
• Adding three “super district” city councilors to be elected at-large by all residents of Tulsa
• Giving the mayor a seat and vote as a member of the city council
To read the League’s background papers on some of these issues, you may download