Tulsa World and News on 6 reviews of Randle vs. Humphreys debate

[mrsgrizzle]

Thanks to everyone who came out. For those who couldn't make it, we are aiming to have the entire video of the debate up this week. Here is the coverage:

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20110917_16_A19_CUTLIN625475&allcom=1#comments
   
Ex-mayors debate forms of government
Former Tulsa Mayor Rodger Randle (left) and former Oklahoma City Mayor Kirk Humphreys chat before a debate Friday at Tulsa Community College's Metro Campus on the merits of the strong-mayor and city-manager forms of government. CORY YOUNG/Tulsa World
They discuss the pros and cons of Tulsa's system, which is up for a vote in November's election.
By WAYNE GREENE World Senior Writer
Published: 9/17/2011  2:22 AM
Last Modified: 9/17/2011  8:20 AM

One of the architects of Tulsa's strong-mayor form of government said Friday night that the system might not be working for Tulsa.


"What we have in Tulsa is the classic American model. The textbooks tell us it ought to work perfectly. But we read the daily newspaper, and we see that's not happening," said Rodger Randle, the last person to serve as mayor under the city commission form of government and the first to serve under the strong-mayor system.

Randle and former Oklahoma City Mayor Kirk Humphreys appeared at what was billed as a debate over the relative merits of Tulsa's strong-mayor form of government and Oklahoma City's city-manager form, but the two ended up agreeing on more things than not.

Humphreys listed two advantages of a city-manager form of government: It builds administrative expertise from within city government and encourages city councilors and mayors to work together.

But "folks, the system is not the solution," Humphreys said. "Any system can work and work well. The question is: Which encourages the best outcomes for the community as a whole?"

Randle agreed with that thought and offered that contemporary Tulsa history may be showing that the strong-mayor system isn't well suited to the city's "DNA."

"We look across the country, and we see (strong-mayor government) work well. ... But we look in Tulsa, and we see a challenging situation," Randle said.

"What works in theory doesn't always work in practice."

Moving Tulsa to a city-manager form of government is one of four questions before voters in November's general election.

Although he didn't make a spirited defense of Tulsa's current form of government, Randle pointed out that it was put in place after a significant period of consideration, and he said it should be replaced only after a similarly broad study process.

Mayor Dewey Bartlett has given one of his top officers, Jim Twombly, the title of city manager, but Humphreys and Randle agreed that his role is politically very different from a city-manager form of government such as Oklahoma City's.

If the city manager is answerable solely to the mayor, he is the mayor's city manager. In the classic city-manager form of government, the city manager is hired by the council and the mayor, they said.

Another issue before voters in November - making city elections nonpartisan - drew a strong endorsement from Humphreys, who said it was more important than changing the form of government.

"If I could change one thing, I would make your mayor and council races nonpartisan," he said. "I believe a partisan ballot causes you to create divisions that are not helpful in city government."

Randle pointed out that much of Tulsa's history of City Hall division hasn't been drawn along partisan lines.

Friday's presentation was sponsored by TulsaNow, a grassroots organization focused on intelligent, sustainable development, preservation and revitalization of Tulsa.





http://www.newson6.com/story/15484171/former-mayors-debate-overhauling-tulsa-city-government

Ashli Sims, News On 6

TULSA, Oklahoma -- All the bickering at city hall has some saying we should scrap our current form of city government and replace it with something new.

Two former mayors squared off Friday to debate both sides of the issue.

In November, voters will decide if we should adopt a system more like Oklahoma City's or stick with the government we have.

Tulsa is sitting on the verge of a revolution; a ballot question to change our city's government. But the looming vote isn't packing in the crowds.

"From the citizen's perspective when you talk about the structure of city government nothing could be more boring," said Rondger Randle, Former Tulsa Mayor.

But Tulsa's former Mayor Roger Randle says nothing is more important.

"It affects all of us directly and very deeply. So for those reasons it really does pay to pay attention," Randle said.

Tulsans will decide whether to stick with a strong mayor form of government, started by former Mayor Randle, or adopt a system similar to Oklahoma City.

"I'd vote for this if I lived in Tulsa," said former Oklahoma City Mayor Kirk Humphries.

Mayor Humphries joined Mayor Randle to talk over the two systems at a forum sponsored by Tulsa Now.

Down the turnpike, they have a city manager system, which basically runs the city like a corporation.

The city manager handles the day to day operations of the city, serving as the CEO, and reports to the mayor and the council which sets policy, similar to a board of directors.

Mayor Humphries says the city manager system forces the council and the mayor to play nice.

"I think it encourages people to work together in a more collegial manner. There's no veto. Councilors aren't going to lob a bomb at the mayor who's sitting down the hall," he said.

"I think there are a lot of reasons to think that there is nothing about our form of government that produces acrimony, people produce acrimony," Randle said.

But he concedes what works in theory may not always work in practice. Both men said either system can work well. It really depends on the personalities and the effectiveness of the leaders within those systems.

[RecycleMichael]

It was excellent. I was very impressed by the people who attended. I saw councilors, council candidates, city officials, appointees to city boards, media, attorneys, and normal folk.

I think we should repeat it again the week before the election and not pick a rainy Friday night with a million other things going on.

[TheArtist]

  I REALLY wanted to go but just couldn't get off work in time to make it home, clean up, and then get downtown by 5:30.  Hopefully if you have another one, I will be able to attend.  And, for my 2cents, please make it a bit later.   

[AngieB]

I don't see how we could possibly repeat the event. Randle and Humphreys surely wouldn't want to do it again. (Although I now adore Kirk Humphreys and mrsgrizzle and I are going to start a campaign for him to move to Tulsa and run for mayor. Or maybe president. )