AP: OKC May Influence Tulsa Mayoral Race

[OKC_Shane]

Oklahoma City may influence who becomes Tulsa's mayor

The Associated Press

TULSA - Oklahoma City's Bricktown, its riverfront development and NBA games may all factor into Tuesday's mayoral election -- even though the mayor's job is in Tulsa, 100 miles away.
Tulsa's gradual recovery from a series of lean years has contrasted sharply with the rebirth that has transformed Oklahoma City's downtown. Democrats and Republicans agree the comparison may influence Tulsans at the polls.

"There's a lot of tough decisions that have been made in Tulsa over the last four years," said Gary Jones, state Republican Party chairman. "They're comparing themselves to Oklahoma City and traditionally, Tulsans don't like to do that."

"Tulsa has always had a distinct civic pride," echoed Ben Odom, vice chairman of the state Democratic Party. "I think they've seen a real challenge to that pride by the fact Oklahoma City has undergone a massive renaissance."

While Oklahoma City resolved its mayoral race last month with a vote of contentment -- GOP incumbent Mick Cornett kept his job by claiming a record 87.6 percent of the vote -- Tulsa voters must sort through the contention of a hotly contested race.

Republican incumbent Bill LaFortune faces a fierce challenge in Democrat Kathy Taylor, the state's former commerce secretary. A recent poll conducted for the Tulsa World and KOTV Channel 6 found Taylor leading significantly.

Independents Paul Tay, best known for his public protests while riding a bicycle, and Ben Faulk, an energy firm contract analyst, also are on the ballot but have been largely excluded from a big budget mayoral battle played out on yard signs, billboards and airwaves.

Some of the key issues:


Tulsa's continuing economic recovery after losing nearly 25,000 jobs between August 2001 and June 2003

A rise in violent crime that has included nearly two dozen homicide investigations so far this year

A political rift that led to unsuccessful recall attempts against two city counselors last summer.
LaFortune said he wants to continue aggressively building police ranks following the elimination of police academies between 2002 and 2004 because of the city's budget crunch. Tulsa has entered a full economic recovery under his leadership, he said, with economic reports showing the city leading the state in job growth.

And the mayor stresses the importance of keeping his administration in place to bring to fruition the projects of Vision 2025. The $885 million countywide sales tax initiative includes funds for a new arena, a convention center renovation and development of the Arkansas River corridor, among other projects.

"We're literally in the middle of building the 2025 projects," he said. An administration change "would slow the projects down."

As far as the political bickering on the City Council, LaFortune said he has tried to encourage communication among the council members. But because they are independent elected officials, "she would have the same problem," he said of Taylor.

LaFortune's Democratic opponent finds his leadership lacking, describing him as a yes-man who fears confrontation.

"We have a strong mayor form of government," Taylor said. "We need a mayor who acts like a strong mayor."

She, too, wants to bolster the police force but thinks Tulsa wrongly sacrificed public safety -- "a bread and butter issue" -- when it canceled the police academies. She tells voters the city needs a "CEO" who can improve communication with the city council, develop a vision for economic development and hold city government accountable to follow through.

"Our government is out of control. They're not leading," she said. "The surrounding communities want to see Tulsa be the leader of economic development in this area."

That's what Taylor said she saw in Oklahoma City as it implemented a temporary sales tax approved by voters in 1993 to fund economic development: "They absolutely brought a dedicated team, and they all had the same vision," she said. "The leadership brought it together."

But LaFortune said the 1995 federal building bombing unified Oklahoma City as it pursued improvements that included the Bricktown entertainment district and the sports arena that now serves as temporary home to the hurricane-displaced Hornets.

And Oklahoma City, he noted, already was moving forward on its major initiatives at the same time Tulsans rejected two economic development packages proposed under former Mayor Susan Savage.

"They got a head start on us," he said.